After a year of speculation, Michael Barzman has admitted to forging a series of lost Basquiat paintings. Barzman pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI and was sentenced to 3 years probation and $500 in fines by a U.S. District Court Judge.
The FBI Art Crime Team began its investigation in June of 2022 when the Orlando Museum of Art announced an exhibition of 25 never-before-seen paintings by Jean Michel Basquiat, titled “Heroes & Monsters.” In spite of an FBI subpoena, the paintings’ owners and the OMA’s chief executive both believed their authenticity – and still do.
Had the works been deemed legitimate, the exhibition would be valued at $100 million. However, some pieces of the puzzle didn’t quite add up.
The Provenance of Heroes & Monsters
Undoubtedly, artwork will always have the most interesting origin stories. Whether they’re true is another question entirely.
According to the work’s provenance, Basquiat completed 25 paintings in 1982 while living in the home of renowned Los Angeles art dealer Larry Gagosian. He then sold all 25 pieces to Thad Mumford, a TV writer, for the unbelievable price of $5,000. Mumford placed the paintings in a storage locker, where they remained untouched for 30 years.
The storage unit was repossessed and purchased at auction in 2012 by William Force and Lee Mangin for $15,000.
The works were then purchased by Pierce O’Donnell for an estimated $25,000.
According to Artnet News, Mumford claimed to have never met Basquiat.
Upon further inspection, Gagosian and sources close to Mumford were questioned about the painting’s legitimacy. Gagosian himself found the story “highly unlikely.” According to the New York Times, friends of Mumford also found the provenance suspicious.
With no one to confirm Mumford’s purchase and no artist to confirm their authenticity, the investigation heated.
Evidence to the Contrary
The first damning piece of evidence was confirmed by Lindon Leader, the brand expert who redesigned FedEx’s logo. Now, the works were created on salvaged cardboard, taken from shipping boxes. On the back of one painting was a shipping label addressed to Michael Barzman with a FedEx logo that featured fonts not used until 1994.
In retaliation, Aaron De Groft, Chief Executive of OMA, claimed many fonts had been used by FedEx throughout the 1980s – which simply was not true.
Lee Mangin, part owner of the works in question, released a poem typed and printed by Mumford and initialled by Basquiat commemorating the acquisition. Both Mangin and De Groft refer to this poem as a receipt of sale.
Sheldon Bull, a colleague of Mumford, stated to The New York Times, “Thad wrote on a legal pad… I never saw him type a single letter.”
Joining public skepticism is the criminal record of Lee Mangin, who was convicted of securities fraud by the SEC. Mangin, known as Leo Mangin, was found guilty of issuing over $5 million shares in fake stock.
Finally, the initial report of authenticity by Jordana Moor Saggese had been misrepresented by O’Donnell. Her report stated that nine of 25 pieces could not be verified as Basquiats. These pages had been removed by O’Donnell before being presented to OMA.
Heroes & Monsters
The alleged Basquiats remained on view at the OMA through June of 2021. Both O’Donnell and Mangin cooperated with investigators through legal counsel, citing the investigation as “excessive due diligence.”
Before the exhibition wrapped, the FBI seized all 25 paintings. A 41-page affidavit cited “false information relating to the alleged prior ownership of the paintings.”
The OMA quickly released a statement acknowledging the museum had not been under investigation, distancing themselves from the paintings’ owners.
Uncovering and Sentencing Barzman
Michael Barzman was the auctioneer responsible for the discovery and initial sale of Basquiats’ lost paintings. He was first interviewed by authorities in August of 2022, where he denied knowledge of any forgery.
The Justice Department reports Barzman found an opportunity to bring in extra cash with the sale of Thad Mumford’s storage unit by forging the works and continued their investigation.
With the help of one accomplice, known currently by the initials JF, Barzman created the 25 works. The team spent at most 30 minutes on each forgery, leaving them outside in the sun to age.
The two sold the works on eBay for a bargain price, clearly just trying to make a little money without calling attention.
The team’s greatest mistake was leaving a FedEx label on the back of one work with a 1994 logo and Barzman’s name.
The forgeries’ details came to light in the plea deal signed by Barzman.
In court, Joel Koury Barzman’s attorney, said, “For decades Mr. Barzman was unable to get health insurance while battling cancer. Drowning in debt, he panicked and joined this scheme and lied when initially confronted.”
The judge sentenced Barzman to 500 hours of community service and a $500 fine instead of jail time. This sentencing was sought by prosecutors who sympathized with Barzman’s “difficult life” and “struggles with substance abuse and financial difficulties.”
Barzman has since stated he is “ashamed and embarrassed” and will “never re-offend.”
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