Tangled history of "Red, black and silver," possibly written by Pollock, just weeks before his death, is worthy of the movies. Experts still do not undertake to judge whether or not it is true

Cover Ruth Kligman memoir about her affair with Jackson Pollock. 1999
The cover shows a picture of "Red, black and silver," which, according to the author, is the last work of the artist
Source: huffingtonpost.com

Tangled small abstract work "Red, Black and Silver" worthy adaptation. It has everything: the lost inspiration artist, a wife, a mistress, a car accident and hiding for years the last masterpiece of the master. Edition Vanity Fair published a fascinating article about this work right before her appearance on the Phillips de Pury auction on September 20. Sale is timed to the 100th anniversary of Jackson Pollock. However, in the catalog, in the place where it should be the author's name, is not a "Jackson Pollock" and "attributed to Jackson Pollock." Estimate the picture is not publicly disclosed, so to compare it with the assessment of other genuine Pollock abstractions still impossible.

picture with a large black spot and the red stains on the silver-purple background is causing so much controversy because the main witness to its authenticity is the former lover of Pollock Ruth Kligman (Ruth Kligman). According to her version, this picture Pollock wrote to her in 1956, just weeks before the fatal accident, which, along with the artist visited and Kligman, but miraculously survived. Artists Foundation, founded after the death of his widow, Lee Krasner (Lee Krasner), refused to recognize the author of "Red, Black and Silver" Pollock. And refused to do so on several occasions. The work is not included in the catalog-reason in 1978 and an updated version in 1995.

However, hardly the actions of Pollock-Krasner Foundation lies banal revenge wife mistress. Kligman brought a picture of the fund for examination after the death of Lee Krasner. And in general, the situation is much more complicated. There are many controversial circumstances raise doubts in the words of Ruth Kligman. For some reason, she said nothing about this painting for many years. Not a word about the work not in her memoirs of 1974, but the application to them of the 1999 history of this work is described in the paint.

to Pollock in 1956 was a year of the final decline he did not write pictures and more drinking. And then the young mistress, ousted from the life of the artist's wife, has decided to return his inspiration. "Show me how you paint the picture," - she said, made the lawn canvas and paint, and more fascinated watching over his shoulder to see how Pollock paints a picture for her. It is surprising that such a touching episode was not mentioned in the first version of memoirs Kligman. Even more strange it seems that the picture did not show it to anyone, and then hide it from the ceiling in the studio or in the cupboard under the stairs, then another picture. Nobody alive to the 1980s did not see, with the exception of a close friend Betty Waldo Benedict (Bette Waldo Benedict). According to the latter, Ruth Pollock painting brought to her house just a few days before the accident. Kligman then took her and hid for several decades, and only in the 1980s, once exposed, but under his own name. This was told by gallery owner Ronald Sosinsky (Ronald Sosinski).

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In the early 1990s, is in a mess Kligman decided to put a picture of the hammer. However, the auction house Christie's refused to take the product to sell, because its owner did not have to enter into an authentication committee Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the work was not in the catalog-reason. Then Kligman first approached to fund the artist's expertise. But after studying the work of the Commission experts have questioned its authenticity. Abstraction was written not typical for the style of Pollock and not typical of a surface (oil on board). And what is even more interesting, this work had once brought them to the authentication, but it is not brought Ruth Kligman, and one John Laubach. That was back in 1980, and the Laubach claimed he owner canvas. He could hardly have to be, if the picture, according to Kligman was undivided in its possession all the time. The owner explained the episode like this: through a friend, she asked gallerist Laubach canvas attributed to the examination in order to be examined in the fund open mind. Laubach but still in the 1980s denied custody. Kligman same in 1995, suggested that work on an updated catalog-reason, but in the section attributed to Pollock works, requiring further investigation. But the owner refused.

She decided to gather new evidence to convince the commission that he was right. But when two years later, she again turned to the fund with extensive calculations of numerous experts employed by it, it was too late: the authentication committee was disbanded. Why did it happen then, is not clear. Kligman argues that it was a hit in the stomach and in the fund argue that it was not related to a specific job, but just in the committee there was no sense, because they started to bring the same work that had previously been denied custody several times.

Ruth Kligman did not wait for the official recognition of the authenticity of the "Red, black and silver." In 2006, stood at her side was the inventor of the innovative method of fractal art autenfikatsii Richard Taylor. After his research, he concluded that the picture contains Kligman fractal patterns, very similar to the patterns of authentic works by Pollock. However, this still was not enough to acknowledge the author. Kligman died in 2010, at the threshold of poverty. And now that the life has gone, all three main characters of the saga, it came to the auction.

Prepared Maria Onuchina, AI

Sources : vanityfair.com , galleristny.com , huffingtonpost.com , artinvestment.ru