The Art Law Committee (of which I am a member) of the New York City Bar Association is holding a fascinating evening event on December 2, 2015 at the City Bar's headquarters at 42 West 44th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues). Entitled “Rethinking Art Authentication,” the program will address issues that readers here will find familiar and yet challenging: the ongoing struggle against fakes and forgeries in the art market. From the flyer:
The flood of news about fakes and forgeries in the art market has generated many news stories and significant concern throughout the market. This panel will address various steps being taken to rethink art authentication concepts, develop new computer, biotech and forensic techniques for authenticating art, and create laws that will make reliable authenticity opinions more accessible.
These are experienced and engaging speakers, and it promises to be a terrific evening. Hope to see you there. Speakers are:
Professor Amy M. Adler, Emily Kempin Professor of Law, New York University.
Professor Adler will discuss taking a different approach to art authenticity. Based on analyses of a series of recent high-profile cases about authenticity in art, Professor Adler argues that the very concept of authenticity is itself artificial.
Colette Loll, founder and director of Art Fraud Insights, LLC
Jennifer L. Mass, Senior Scientist and Director, Scientific Research and Analysis Laboratory, Winterthur Museum and President, Scientific Analysis of Fine Art, LLC
Dr. Mass will discuss the latest scientific innovations for identifying fakes and also serious condition issues in works of art. Together, Ms. Loll and Dr. Mass will also discuss their participation in i2M Global Center of Innovation housed at SUNY Albany.
Rick Johnson, Jacobs' Fellow in Computational Arts and Humanities, Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, Cornell Tech (New York City), Geoffrey S. M. Hedrick Senior Professor of Engineering, Cornell University (Ithaca), Scientific Researcher, Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), and Computational Art History Advisor, RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History (the Hague).
Professor Johnson will discuss computer methodologies for evaluating of works of art. He notes that measurements of various manufactured supports, such as thread weave density patterns in canvas, chain line paper, and the various textures of historic photographic papers, have proposed as forensic data useful in analysis of art works.
Dean R. Nicyper, Withers Bergman LLP
Mr. Nicyper will speak about legislation currently being proposed in the State Legislature that is designed to encourage authenticators to continue
giving authenticity opinions and protect them from frivolous lawsuits.
