Peter Doig all-таки forced to justify in court
ARTinvestment.RU   17 августа 2016

The artist refuses to acknowledge the authorship of a picture of 1976, but the current owner wants to force Doig to do so by court decision

the details of this curious case, described in our the article "Peter Doig is suing a prison guard". Briefly the essence: in 1976, the warden of the correctional institution Robert Fletcher bought the young prisoner serving a sentence for possession of LSD, a painting for $100. We are talking about Amateur level landscape — between primitivism and surrealism. Bought and bought, no matter what. The landscape was signed by Pete. Doige. And now, after almost forty years familiar the dealer advised the supervisor that this is the most famous Doig, for which collectors now pay many tens of millions. Auction record Doig — $25 million, he included in the top-10 the most expensive living artist. And if so, then this landscape can draw for five million. It was easy — to obtain confirmation from the author, still alive.

But then found a cut diamond. The artist replied with a polite refusal: the picture is not him. Started to explain that in a canadian prison is not sitting, his surname Doig, Doige not, without the e on the end. What is the abbreviation of the name Pete. didn't sign up. And in General almost never signed on the front side. And acrylic, which painted the picture, and it never worked. "Shirk — thought the warden. — we have Seen such". Drew lawyer, and together they began to press on the artist: "face it!". That in any, and went to court.

it would Seem that the case is hopeless. But justice — the process is procedural and the plaintiff does not intend to give up. She found minor inconsistencies in the testimonies of the artist (e.g., he remembered the school where he studied a short time) and continues to stand on his own. Trouble Doig, in 1976, it really has managed to live in Canada. Even worse, he had a really rough youth with LSD, stealing and other shenanigans. And now those pesky nuances punched holes in the protection.

as a result, now a respected artist forced to answer in court to undergo cross-examination to confirm that in Canada he was not involved, and so on. Moreover, the plaintiff's counsel during interrogations zealous so that a couple of times, Doig had to say: "are You yelling at me?"

And it does not matter that the real author, it seems, found: a Peter Edward Doige, who was sitting in a canadian prison in 1970-х and died in 2012. The judicial machine will not stop.

the cases where the artists do not recognize their work, really are. And they are not few, we in Russia in its auction area with this occasionally. On the forum were even the theme of "Refusal of a living artist from their work" — it contains some suspicious cases. The reasons for the refusal of their work may be different. Forgot. Or gave, and then quarreled with the owner, decided to annoy. Or stolen. Or thinks now the work is weak and diplomatically prefers to "forget". All such situations though not hopeless, but very problematic. For resale refusal artist — is a very serious complication.

But in the case of Doig position of the artist is too well-reasoned. So I as a casual observer, interesting two questions. First: what is the true purpose of the plaintiff? That is what they want to get in conflict with the artist? And second, how and to whom in the event of success in court, the dealer intends to sell the disputed work allegedly Doig? What fool its now buy with this scandalous train?

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

Sources: news.artnet.com, artinvestment.ru, forum.artinvestment.ru