When reading about a famous forgery case, who among us hasn't thought, for at least a second or two, that it would be nice to get our hands on a really good replica of a coveted painting regardless of whose hand really put the paint down on the canvas?
For years, Boston-born and Brooklyn-based artist Eric Doeringer has been establishing himself as a New York art lover's Fairy Godmother by granting poor gallery goers' wishes for affordable little canvases of images made by their favorite art stars. Doeringer sells his 'Bootlegs' series outside hot Chelsea galleries, inside international art fairs and at glitzy exhibitions such as the Whitney Biennial. In an unlimited edition assembly line process, he produces his small-souvenir scale versions of well-known paintings, sculptures, collages, drawings and works in other media by more than a hundred contemporary artists. He then displays his array of pirate booty art in piles at stalls that stimulate the same greedy day-dreaming desires as stands stacked with fake Prada purses and phoney Louis Vuitton sunglasses.
Doeringer's "paintings" are created with a combination of collage and acrylic paint, giving his canvases the cleverly convincing tactile appearance of an original object, not a reproduction. A Doeringer of an Elizabeth Peyton, Julian Opie, Richard Prince, or Yoshitomo Nara might suitably impress your guests, enable you to fulfill a fantasy by posing as a major collector and, late at night, in dark light, let you imagine that you have discovered that you actually have a priceless work of art hanging on your wall - when in reality you have acquired a clever and uniquely insightful piece of creative commentary on our culture's commoditization of art.
Doeringer will contribute to 'And Who Are You? Work from Saatchi Online' (18 December 2007 - 26 January 2008) at SARA TECCHIA ROMA NEW YORK, 529 West 20th Street, between Tenth Avenue and Eleventh Avenue. T: +1 212-741-2900; www.saratecchia.com.
"Elizabeth Peyton", Acrylic and Collage on Canvas, 8 x 10", 2001-07
AFH: Why do you think people want to own art?
ED: I'm sure everyone has his or her own reasons. I think most people collect art because it moves them in some way - intellectually, spiritually, aesthetically, etc. Then there are people who buy art as an investment, to impress their peers, or to match their living room decor.
AFH: Why do you think art is valued differently from other objects that match the living room decor?
ED: Well, the other objects are generally made in greater quantities so the law of supply and demand comes into play. I think, however, there is a growing appreciation of design. You could spend as much on a George Nelson marshmallow sofa as a Warhol (well, a second-rate Warhol).
AFH: Why is art so fashionable right now?
ED: The combination of inexpensive color printing and the growth of the internet mean that art is disseminated much more widely than before. Obviously there's no replacement for experiencing art in person, but now you can follow the latest art developments in London or New York no matter where you live. Many people who might feel uncomfortable entering an art gallery or museum read about art in Vanity Fair or W. Thus, art has been able to engage a larger audience than ever before. There's also a lot of money being thrown around in the art world now, and money is always fashionable.
AFH: Are you one of these artists who is critical, or at least skeptical about the positive ramifications of all this money floating around?
ED: There's no question that if you look at auction sales, contemporary art prices are totally inflated compared to art from other periods. However, I'm very appreciative of the fact that I am able support myself by selling my artwork and don't have to work a day job. I think it's great that people want to spend their money on art, although I'd like to see more people supporting "emerging" artists. In my opinion, a collector who buys fifty $1,000 paintings is better than one who buys a single $50,000 painting - he or she is helping artists (and gallerists) who really need the support. Collectors who buy work from less-established artists tend to build more personal, idiosyncratic collections. They're buying work they love, not the art world "flavor of the month". Adam Lindeman's book 'Collecting Contemporary' was a real eye-opener about the workings of the upper-echelons of the art world. I found it kind of frightening.
"Richard Prince", Acrylic and Collage on Canvas, 9 x 12", 2004-07
AFH: And do you think a larger number of people are actually knowledgeable, or are they just more aware of certain sound-bites and familiar with a few fashionable faces and fewer names?
ED: Someone recently speculated that the artists I copy are artists who have developed a recognizable "brand." There is a segment of the population who might now buy a Damien Hirst or an Elizabeth Peyton as a status symbol, the way they would previously have purchased a Rolex or a Ferrari. A painting on the wall shows that you have money and taste.
AFH: And are you saying that being an art collector does mean that anymore?
ED: There are a lot of young guys making a fortune in finance these days. They may not be particularly sophisticated about art but they have a lot of money to play with. Their co-worker buys a Richard Prince nurse painting, so they have to have one, too. I think it's this "keeping up with the Jonses" mentality that has lead to the insane contemporary art prices. However, a superficial interest in art is better than no interest at all. Generally, as someone collects art (or frequents art exhibitions) they become more sophisticated about art. The art world has traditionally been elitist, I like the fact that it is becoming more populist.
AFH: Why would they want a replica of a known image?
ED: Art is a luxury good that many people desire but cannot afford. Buying one of my paintings is like buying a fake Louis Vuitton handbag. The quality isn't as good, but no one can tell from across the room. Some people tell me they think my paintings are better than the originals. I don't know about that, but you certainly get more for your money when you buy my work.
AFH: People seem to like spending an obscene amount on art. Have your prices risen since art started being a hotter and hotter luxury product?
ED: I have raised my prices a bit since I first began selling Bootlegs, but it has more to do with my own circumstances than the market's. A couple of years ago I started to show my Bootleg paintings in galleries as well as selling the paintings on the street. Of course, I have to give the galleries a percentage of the sales I make. The prices were so low that neither the gallery nor I would make much money if we split the proceeds, so I had to raise the prices a little. They're still a good deal -- try finding a painting under $250 anywhere else in Chelsea.
AFH: Typically how well do your paintings sell when you sell them in a gallery?
ED: I've had a few shows where I've done installations with 20 - 60 paintings. Usually I'll sell at least half from a show like that. Other times it's just a few paintings in a group show or an art fair booth - sometimes they sell and sometimes they don't.
AFH: Do they sell better in a gallery or on the street?
ED: It's sort of apples and oranges. A gallery show is open for a month, but when I sell them on the street I choose prime locations and times.
AFH: Have you heard of people trying to pass your work off as legit?
ED: I've never heard of anyone trying to sell one of my pieces as a work by the original artist or anything like that. A number of people have told me about having guests over who say, "Oh my god, how did you get that Raymond Pettibon drawing?" I have a collector who owns one of my "Andy Warhol" Bootlegs and some original Warhol "flower" paintings of a similar size. He hung mine alongside the others and it's pretty hard to tell them apart.
AFH: Warhol would probably dig that. Do you see his as forefather to your practice?
ED: Yeah. I think Warhol was the most important artist of the 20th century.
"Andy Warhol", Acrylic and Silkscreen on Canvas, 10 x 10", 2006-07
AFH: Have you ever gotten flak from the original artists?
ED: Most of the artists I've met have a good sense of humor about the whole thing, but I have gotten a few angry emails from artists and even a couple of "cease and desist" letters from lawyers. Some artists have been critical of my technique - Julian Schnabel told me I "got the blues all wrong" in my version of his painting.
AFH: Did he offer advice or just complain?
ED: He was cool, but he said he just hoped no one ever thought it was really one of his.
AFH: Do you cease and desist?
ED: Sure. I don't ask permission before I create a Bootleg, but if the artist wants me to stop, I'll respect their wishes. Though, I had a funny experience a couple of years ago. I was contacted by VAGA, which is a rights management group that represents artists and photographers. They came across my version of Vik Muniz's chocolate syrup portrait of Sigmund Freud and ordered me to stop selling the prints and take the image off of my web site. I told VAGA I would be happy to stop selling my Bootleg Muniz if that was his desire, but asked them whether or not they were acting at his behest. I couldn't believe that he would really care about my piece. After all, his drawing reproduced someone else's portrait of Freud. My Bootleg was a photograph of my own re-drawing of Muniz's piece, not a mechanical copy. VAGA wouldn't tell me whether Vik was involved and threatened me with legal action. I stopped selling the "Muniz" prints, but a few months later I came across Vik Muniz's web site, which had a contact email. I emailed him about the situation and he wrote back to me in, like, an hour and said it was fine and he'd tell VAGA to get off my back.
AFH: Thats great. I like him so much more. Are you moving with trends? Are you doing Chinese art now?
ED: I'm experimenting with the contemporary Chinese market. I added Zhang Xiogang and Feng Zhengjie recently. They haven't been as popular as Richard Prince or Elizabeth Peyton.
AFH: Do you speculate that they will have staying power or is Chinese art really just a passing trend?
ED: As China becomes a larger economic power (and Chinese society becomes more open), their domestic art market is bound to grow. I don't know about Western interest in Chinese art -- it does seem like a bit of a fad right now.
AFH: Do you trend-track with the work you see? You must have a very keen sense of what becomes popular and when and why.
ED: I read the art magazines and some blogs, web sites, etc. -- I try to follow who people are talking about. It's often a mystery to me why certain artists become popular. I guess it's all about impressing the "right" people. Here in the US (I don't know if it's the same in the UK) attending a prestigious graduate school - Columbia, Yale, UCLA - seems to help a lot.
AFH: Do you think the market actually reflects the quality of work out there?
ED: To be honest, I'm totally bored by the work of most of the artists I copy. Just like in the film and music industries, there are a lot of visual artists working on the periphery who make smarter, better, more radical art than the big stars.
ANA FINEL HONIGMAN is a critic, PhD candidate in art history at Oxford University and Senior London Correspondent for the Saatchi Gallery's online magazine. She also contributes to Style.com, Grazia, Tank, Sleek and Harper's Bazaar.
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