Netflix Art Hole – Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery

Can a forgery be authentic?

I know you don’t want to ponder the definition of “authenticity” during ‘Netflix and Chill’ night … but do it anyway. Watch the documentary Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery. Beltracchi fooled the art world for decades, making millions with his impeccable forgeries. Then he (sort of) went to prison.

Beltracchi is also a pretty funny guy. One of my favourite moments in the film is a conversation between him and Art Historian Henry Keazor. Keazor says that when art historians authenticate fakes, they look foolish. Beltracchi replies, laughing, “If you write a catalogue of works … bring it to me first.”

In contrast, the auctioneers, gallery owners, and art collectors that Beltracchi tricked out of those millions, are not so funny. They’re stuffy, obsessed with money, and hate being told that they’re wrong. Yeah, Beltracchi is a criminal. But isn’t paying millions of dollars for a painting already criminal? I think Beltracchi’s real work of art is revealing the fakery of the art world.

Plus, you have to admit, Beltracchi’s paintings are beautiful. And isn’t that the whole point of art? It isn’t the price … it’s what’s in the frame that counts. Yeah, it might not be a painting by (insert famous artist here), but it’s still nice to look at.

So grab your bae and make it a ‘Netflix and Authenticity Debate’ night tonight.

Note: You might find Beltracchi: The Art of the Forgery under it’s original, more intimidating-sounding German title: Beltracchi: Die Kunst der Fälschung.

 

Happy Birthday, Georgia O’Keeffe!

Georgia O’Keefe, 20th century American painter-ess was born this day in 1887. Apparently, a lot of her paintings (of flowers) look like vaginas:

Music, Pink and Blue No. 2, 1918

My favourite O’Keeffe paintings, however, hail from the 20s, when she was living in New York City. They feature skyscrapers which, arguably, still look like vaginas:

City Night, 1926

Albeit, angular vaginas.

Happy birthday, you master of art and innuendo, you!

YouTube Art Hole: Modern Masters

If you’re going to waste time on YouTube, you might as well learn about art. There are some great documentaries out there.  Here’s one series you might enjoy:

Modern Masters (BBC One, 2010)

I find the presenter, Alastair Sooke, a little irritating because I am simultaneously jealous of his job (Art critic for The Guardian) and attracted to him (I like string-beans). Frustration aside, he is quite an engaged host, and his enthusiasm is contagious.

There are four episodes in this series, featuring Matisse, Picasso, Dali, and Warhol.

The series does a great job of covering the modern-day impact of these four art stars (apparently, Miffy the Bunny wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Matisse). Plus, it’s just pure pop fun.

The episodes are all here (if you want to watch them with a weird green stripe on the side):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUi_lxCT70vD5SeS2gciZ2q1KzhXSE6jM

Or you can type “Modern Masters” into the YouTube search bar. Your choice.

Well, there’s four hours of your life gone. You’re welcome.

Happy 133rd Birthday, Picasso

Pablo Picasso, co-inventor of cubism, was born on October 25, 1881.

 

Self Portrait, Picasso, 1907

My favourite anecdote about Picasso isn’t a real anecdote at all. Woody Allen was born in 1935, but he wrote about meeting Picasso in the 20s …

“Picasso was then beginning on what was later to be known as his “blue period,” but Gertrude Stein and I had coffee with him, and so he began it ten minutes later. It lasted four years, so the ten minutes did not really mean much.

Picasso was a short man who had a funny way of walking by putting one foot in front of the other until he would take what he called “steps.” We laughed at his delightful notions, but toward the late 1930s, with fascism on the rise, there was very little to laugh about.

Both Gertrude Stein and I examined Picasso’s newest works very carefully, and Gertrude Stein was of the opinion that “art, all art, is merely an expression of something.” Picasso disagreed and said, “Leave me alone. I was eating.” My own feelings were that Picasso was right. He had been eating.”

– Woody Allen, A Twenties Memory

 

Happy birthday Picasso, you genius/ utter weirdo.