Week 4 class 1.

Part 1: Forging Nature

Motivations for faking natural objects

Cabinets of curiosity and objects of wonder

Collecting and forgeries – without collectors, forgery is meaningless

Market economy versus gift economy in naturalhistory

Basilisk and Hydra, “Jenny Hannivers”

Market for objects described in ancient texts, e.g. marvels of the East and unicorn horns

Pliny the Elder (23AD-79AD) Natural History.

Findlen “Inventing Nature”

Artists “playing with Nature” to make objects for Wunderkammern (e.g. Archimboldo, Palissy).

Francis I’s hydra, valued at 6000 ducats.

Is it true to suggest that when science impinges on a market economy, forgeries become widespread? Are there other motivations for scientific fakery? (discrediting colleagues, pranks …)

Basilisk was, in any case, thought in 16^th century to be an artificial animal – Paracelsus’ description (like homunculus) – compare current transgenic marvels – e.g. Eduardo Kac’s GFP bunny.

Deprong Mori or “piercing devil” – bat capable of penetrating concrete in Museum of Jurassic Technology

Piltdown Man: Eoanthropus dawson, jawbone of modern ape attached to 50000 year old human skull.

Bernegger’s “lying stones” -- what do they teach us about the criteria necessary for a successful forgery?

Eoornis Pterovelox Gobiensis

Megolaponera Foetens: Stink Ant of the Cameroon

Nondescript – Charles Waterton.

Sympsychography

Part 2: Forging Art

Precious materials à skill as commodity in late 14^th/early 15^th century (Baxandall).

When does art forgery become attractive?

Intrinsic versus extrinsic value

Rockport MA 1988 – law that any work of art not individually created should be labeled as “not an original work of art”.

Compare e.g. Teniers, medieval apprentice system

Motivations in faking art – financial gain, but also pranks

Van Meegeren Vermeers – “Christ and the Woman taken in Adultery” found in possession of Hermann Goering.

What kinds of evidence are used to make a fake a painting?

Intrinsic: materials, style, “distressing”

Extrinsic: forged documents, phoney provenance, fake labels, fake “experts”.

Expert offered $1.5 million to declare a counterfeit Pollock painting genuine.

“Salting tombs” -- taking buyer to discover the artifact – staging.

Using fakes to confirm theories, e.g. Priam’s treasure

The artist as accomplice – Salvador Dali signing blank pieces of paper on which others printed images

Fake prints, surmoulages

New market for fakes/artists playing with concept of authenticity

True Fakes Ltd. Of New York

Forgery of the Month of Chicago

Warhol, Marcel Duchamp – playing with authenticity.