Travis Simpkins: "The Art of the Con" by Anthony Amore

"The Art of the Con" by Anthony M. Amore

Palgrave Macmillan, 2015

Brief Review by Travis Simpkins

In the realm of art forgery, it is not so much the quality of the fake art that fools victims, but rather the sneaky backstory that comes along with the bogus pictures. In his book, The Art of the Con: The Most Notorious Fakes, Frauds and Forgeries in the Art World, Anthony M. Amore presents some intriguing examples of artful deceptions... and explains how many artists, collectors and hopeful investors have fallen for stories too good to be true.

Divided into eleven chapters, the book expertly relays tales both well-known and semi-obscure… including the colorful forgeries of Wolfgang Baltracchi, Pei-Shen Qian and the downfall of the prestigious Knoedler & Company, Larry Salander and his double-crossing scam to rip off his own celebrity friends, Brian Ramnarine's unauthorized Flag sculptures by Jasper Johns, fake John Singer Sargent paintings, the theft and complex recovery of 7 works (including a Cezanne) stolen from Michael Bakwin's Stockbridge home in 1978, Ely Sackhai's sweatshop assembly of copied mid-level works, Tatiana Khan and a fake Picasso pastel, the family of Leon Amiel and forged signatures on fake prints, Kristine Eubanks' bizarre telescam and the pitfalls of eBay.

While a great deal of the text focuses on the criminals who perpetrate the frauds, equal measures are afforded in giving deserved credit to the hard-working law enforcement officials who expose and quell the collateral damage brought on by the scams. LAPD Art Theft Detective Don Hrycyk, Julian Radcliffe, Art Recovery International's Chris Marinello and FBI Special Agent Geoff Kelly are praised along with organizations like IFAR and the Art Loss Register, whose efforts serve to aid the investigations into Art Crime.

Well-versed in the field of art recovery and security, Anthony Amore offers keen insights into the investigative process that most other Art Crime authors tend to miss. The Art of the Con is well worth the cover price, providing an unvarnished look at the fraudulent side of the Art World.