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FREE FORGED: WHY FAKES ARE THE GREAT ART OF OUR AGE PDF Author of the Jargon Watch Column for Wired Magazine Jonathon Keats | 208 pages | 28 Mar 2013 | Oxford University Press Inc | 9780199928354 | English | New York, United States Forged: Why Fakes Are the Great Art of Our Age by Jonathon Keats – review | Books | The Guardian Imitation in the Renaissance. Jacopo di Poggibonsi's adoption of figural types from works by Fra Filippo Lippi bring up the issues of imitation and forgery in art. Although in the 21st century we as viewers and critics generally conceive of artistic imitation as an artist's lack of creativity and originality, Renaissance thinkers held a different opinion. In fact, the French word Forged: Why Fakes are the Great Art of Our Age means, "rebirth. Many artists, in all sorts of media, engaged in imitation of the antique styles and pieces. The fine arts in particular are laden with imitations, especially in the areas of painting and sculpture. Renaissance artists not only imitated Classical forms, but also each other's recent works. The Latin terms imitatio and aemulatio were coined in discussion of the contemporary reaction to and adoption of antiquity. While our culture today seems wrapped up in the importance of idolizing names instead of worshipping art, 1 artists in the Renaissance were much more focused on reviving and exploring a genre than seeking their own fame and fortune. Thus, imitation was not seen as negative and unoriginal practice, but, rather, as a great artistic challenge. It is important to make these cultural distinctions in order to gain a better understanding of how the line between stylistic imitation and deliberate, corrupt forgery or "copying for profit" has been altered and redefined throughout history. Art Forgery in Today's Terms A forged work of art can be defined as possessing "the intent to deceive, usually for financial gain, by proffering an art object as representing something other than it is. A Brief History of Forgery Throughout the entire history of art, forgeries have been made Forged: Why Fakes are the Great Art of Our Age the market accommodated and creative works were desired for collection. The Romans copied and adapted Greek sculptures, many of which were believed to be originals in later centuries. Today these "copies" are in museums, valued for what they are - art - understood both by their imitative nature and Roman context. Example of an easily copied Roman coin. One of the earliest forms of forgery was coin counterfeit. Copies were produced by making castings from molds of original coins. Also, some of the original dies were found and used to strike unauthorized issues. Various Byzantine emperors debased their coinage with base alloys--this dilution being the new and improved form of deception--and coins were even produced in base Forged: Why Fakes are the Great Art of Our Age and gilded in order to be passed off as solid gold. Counterfeit coins were made for a different type of individual profit by Jean Duc de Berry of France An art patron and coin collector, he commissioned modern copies of old Dutch and French coins to fill in gaps in his collection. An interesting modern twist on currency forgery has been made by J. Boggs, a contemporary artist. He uses his masterpieces, which resemble American currency, in exchange for goods and services. This form of forgery eventually led to the forging of works of art for profit and also exhibition. Even the highly esteemed Michelangelo had forged an "antique" marble cupid for his patron, Lorenzo de' Medici. The forgery of classical images continues in our own era. Renaissance painting especially has a permanent place in modern forgery. Otto Kurz expands on this as he recalls a recent summer day's excursion into the streets of the art district of a town in Italy: The forgers who did and do their utmost to keep pace with the demand fully avail themselves of the great advantages offered to them. Every early picture of the Italian school, and be it of the lowest artistic quality, is eagerly Forged: Why Fakes are the Great Art of Our Age for, and commands a high price. There is no need to produce masterpieces. We hardly ever find spurious Giottos or Duccios, while the number of dubious works by the 'minor masters' is constantly increased. The task of distinguishing between genuine and spurious pictures is particularly difficult. Genuine Trecentist or Quattrocentist Madonnas of fifth-rate quality may possess nearly all the unattractive features characterizing their counterfeits. Their colour scheme may be unrefined, faces and hands badly drawn, facial expression and gestures may be pettish and affected. The sad thing is that objects of so poor artistic quality should be such favorites with collectors. Normally, Jacopo's copying of figural types by Lippi would not have been considered inappropriate within the context of Renaissance Florence. However, because each of these artists was working for families Forged: Why Fakes are the Great Art of Our Age for political power, the issue took on a larger power struggle. The Medicis perceived Jacopo as a threat to Lippi and thus his otherwise innocent imitation took on Forged: Why Fakes are the Great Art of Our Age sinister quality. Although Jacopo was not engaged in a greedy pursuit of monetary gain, his works tread the fine line between imitation and forgery. Although he was doing more than just "developing" or "practicing" a style, he was not technically a forger bent on making his fortune on someone else's work. Jacopo is a great example of how difficult it is to grapple with the issues of imitation, emulation, and forgery in different cultural contexts. Forgery in the Modern Era. Perhaps the most prolific production of art forgeries has occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries during periods of avid collecting, when profits for forgers have proven astronomical. Ruchomovsky was commissioned to execute a number of works in the antique manner by unscrupulous dealers, who then sold the objects as antiquities. The Italian artist Giovanni Bastianiniin the third quarter of the 19th century, executed in good faith a number of fine sculptures in the manner of Donatello, Verrocchio, Mino de Fiesole, and other Italian old masters, sculptures which were subsequently sold as genuine to reputable museums, including the Victoria and Forged: Why Fakes are the Great Art of Our Age Museum in London and the Louvre Museum. Perhaps the most famous master forger of all time was Alceo Dossenawho successfully produced sculptures of such high quality that they were accepted as genuine by many art critics, museum directors, and famous collectors. Apparently, Dossena, a master artist, did not know he was defrauding a third party, as he merely supplied work in various styles: Archaic, Hellenistic, Roman, Gothic, and Renaissance. When he discovered that a Madonna and Child he had sold for 50, lire was in turn sold for 3 million lire, he stepped forward and proclaimed that the works were modern. Bastianini's Portrait of a Lady created in imitation of classical styles and believed to be an authentic antique by experts. Of almost equal notoriety is Hans van Meegeren who painted a number of fake Vermeer's and Pieter de Hooch's that were accepted as genuine by eminent art critics and sold to important collectors and museums for fabulous sums. In facing prison charges, he confessed to forging the painting himself. Authorities did not believe the painting to be fake and so van Meegeren painted another "Vermeer" before their eyes to prove it. Perhaps the most provocative contemporary instance of art forgery is the questionable Getty Kourosthe authenticity of which has not been resolved. This marble statue in the J. Getty Museum in Malibu may be a Greek original of the Archaic period, or it may be a modern copy. Scholars disagree to the point that an entire colloquium was recently held to solve the problem once and for all - and failed! How can one trust the authority of a document on the web, when anyone who wishes can put up a website? Thus the two main concerns that the facility of web publication raises are: How can one know that the person that posts the work is actually the author? And how can one know that the information is valid? We lack the necessary safeguards, quality control and regulations in this new age to prevent forgers from wreaking havoc on all of us. Fake or Forged Websites There are several excellent discussions on faked or forged websites. The article discusses imitation-retail websites, in which many people think that they are purchasing items but are instead providing credit card information to criminals. This article also discusses the emergence of private organizations, such as Cyveillance and Scambusters, which are attempting to moderate and verify sites, particularly sites in which the user can make purchases. A valuable resource for verifying whether or not a site is the following from zdnet. It also includes a good, general analysis of the problem of forgery on the Internet. On a more humorous level, the kidnapping of the website of a Turkish gentleman, Mahir, caused an Internet frenzy. Image Manipulation and Distribution Image manipulation is another pressing issue in the age of the Internet. The framework of the Internet vastly increases the facility with which images can be copied, shared, manipulated, and easily distributed. Forged E-mails The next largest issue in our computer-run world is the validity of authorship of electronic mail. Forged messages are, however, used by the 'CancelMoose' to manage spamming and keep it from spreading.

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