Not to add confusion to an already "confusing" situation, but I'm going to guess the story may turn out to be the "one owner who used to work there" is deceased. This leaves no one to ask about possible rebarreling, stock alteration, refinishing, glass bedding, etc.
For what it is worth, in my opinion Justin (pre64win) is not only not a jerk, but is a valuable source of information to this forum. Honest men sometimes bring a dose of reality in the form of news and opinions that are not what we would prefer to hear. I think most of us are smart enough not to shoot the messenger.
Not my intention sir. I have no dog in this fight, nor want one.
But I equate well made tools (guns) as works of art. They are clearly an art form. And authentication of an art form has risks.
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Another Trash to Treasure Tale – Jackson Pollock Found in Garage to be Sold this Month
By Marie C. Dooley on June 13, 2017
POSTED IN ART AUTHENTICATION, ART CONSERVATION/RESTORATION, ART VALUATION
A Jackson Pollock painting possibly worth over $15 Million was found in a garage in Arizona among other knick-knacks and memorabilia. The painting was located because the homeowner was downsizing and moving to a retirement facility. During the move, a friend spotted a signed L.A. Lakers poster believed to be of value, which prompted review of other items in the garage. The sports poster was determined to be only worth $300 (actually not a bad value for a modern-day poster, which generally does not retain value). In contrast to the poster, the Pollack was taken back to the auction gallery for further examination. After feverishly researching the provenance in an effort to determine how the Pollack could end up in Arizona (where regional southwestern art is king), the appraiser/auctioneer involved, Josh Levin of J. Levine Auction & Appraisal, found a link from the Arizona owner to his half-sister, Jenifer Gordon Cosgriff, who was a New York Socialite. After tireless research, it has been determined that the painting is a missing Pollack gouache. In regard to authentication, the auction gallery indicates that the forensic report states that “no pigments or binding media introduced in the late 1950s and 1960s have been detected.” Reports indicate that since the painting was removed from storage it has been restored. The painting will go to the auction block next week in Scottsdale, AZ with a reported starting bid of $5 Million.
Richard Polsky Art Authentication Offers New “Preliminary Opinion Service”
By Fox Rothschild LLP on January 17, 2017
POSTED IN ART AUTHENTICATION
Richard Polsky writes:
As the owner of Richard Polsky Art Authentication, I’ve always believed that authenticity is the bedrock of any art transaction, which seems to have been proven out by the constant stream of related articles in the New York Times. During the last six months alone, we’ve been treated to the spectacle of the Knoedler gallery scandal for selling fake canvases by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell, and others. Then there was the dealer Mary Boone pulling a bait and switch of a Ross Bleckner painting on the actor Alec Baldwin. This was followed by London’s James Mayor Gallery suing the Pace Gallery, over their rejection of 13 Agnes Martin works that they once sold, for inclusion in the catalog raisonne that Pace is in the process of compiling.
Recently, we expanded beyond our core business of exclusively authenticating the work of Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring. We now offer a “Preliminary Opinion” service, which will focus on the work of 39 significant Post-War & Contemporary artists — and Georgia O’Keeffe. Rather than an in-depth authentication analysis, our new concept is to offer a client a credible, but affordable opinion, on the probability of a painting being genuine or not.
The logic behind branching out into 40 additional artists is based on the complete abandonment of authentication responsibilities by virtually every major artist’s estate. As followers of the art world know, the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board closed up shop five years ago. Their decision was almost entirely based on incurring millions of dollars in legal fees to defend themselves against lawsuits, brought by disgruntled clients whose works were rejected. Immediately following the Warhol board’s announcement, the authentication committees for Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and others, all followed suit. Each of them cited the same reason; fear of being sued."
