Friday, October 17, 2014 - 
art theft in film,documentary,Mark Landis
1 comment
art theft in film,documentary,Mark Landis
1 comment
Film Review: Mark Landis in the documentary "Art and Craft" explains art forgery
by Camille Knop, ARCA Alumna '14
“We all like to feel useful. Whatever ability we happen to
have, we like to make use of it,” explains Mark Landis in the newly-released
documentary, “Art and Craft,” which traces his career in art forgery. “And
copying pictures is my gift.”
Landis has been in the news since 2010, when it was
discovered that he had donated over one hundred forgeries over a period of
thirty years, spanning forty-six museums across twenty states. Although Landis’
actions could be considered fraudulent, the fact that he never sold his
forgeries makes them legal. “Art and Craft” paints a portrait of Landis’
character that satisfies this contradiction and exposes a motive that is unexpected
yet relatable.
Directed by Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, and Mark Becker,
“Art and Craft” often feels more like a documentary of a performance artist
than that of an art forger. During its New York City release at the Angelika
Film Center last month, the audience scoffed, giggled, and outright laughed in
disbelief as they watched Landis at work. He forged countless images with
undeniable talent, skillfully portrayed generous donors under various aliases,
and teased museums into taking the bait. The genius of Mark Landis lies in the
process of deception as much as in the forged work itself.
Most discovered art forgers are found to be motivated by a
desire for financial gain and for revenge on an unforgiving and fickle art
market. Artists themselves, they use their talents to benefit from the over-dependence
of artistic value on authenticity. Ironically, their soft spots are similar to
those of the museum directors interviewed in the film: art and money.
Landis, on the other hand, is interested in a different kind
of profit. Unlike other art forgers, he claims he does not identify himself as
an artist. Although he enjoys creating copies and duping experts, Landis is
unique in that he gets the most pleasure out of impersonating art collectors.
The friendly attention he receives from museum staff, although likely as
insincere as his act, is what he craves and, ultimately, why he forges. “Art
and Craft” traces this desire to emulate collectors he had seen in 'James Bond' films. In fact, his performances are inspired by the films and TV shows he
watched as a child. He quotes them verbatim, almost as though they were
original thoughts. “Necessity is the mother of invention, but sometimes the
step-mother of deception,” is one such quote taken from "Charlie Chan’s Secret" (1936).
Questions surrounding the future of Mark Landis’ work were
brought up during the Q&A that followed the New York screening of “Art and
Craft”. After having been featured in both a solo exhibition at the University
of Cincinnati and in the film itself, it is clear that Mark Landis will have to
put an end to his “philanthropic” career. Although he is unsure as to what his
next step will be, when asked by an audience member if he would now be
interested in selling his copies, Landis replied, "I may be eccentric, but
I'm not crazy."
Ms. Knop studied art history and visual arts at Columbia University (Class of 2014).
1 comments:
Fantastic! I am a Landis fan! Every artist tricks, copies, borrows. Landis is pure honesty in his deception.
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