The FAR® Blog

ALERT! The High Risk of Trusting Certificates Of Authenticity (COAs)

The art market has been flirting with disaster for decades and it is time for the artist and buyer alike to be fully aware of its disastrous impact. In this age of the World Wide Web and the Information Highway we have an advantage over our distant forefathers. The following relates the highlights of an article that is definitely a REQUIRED READ, if in fact one is desirous of acquainting him/herself with the pitfalls existing in the world of art today.

The CERTIFICATE Of AUTHENTICITY is a skillfully written article that points out what every artist and/or buyer of fine art should be keenly aware of. The article also discloses how each of us has the ability to overcome these hazards. Certificates of Authenticity (otherwise referred to as COAs), have been around for a very long time and erroneously relied on by many unknowing and sometimes even in the know experts of the art world.

Skilled artists have produced fakes and sold them as originals to buyers for centuries. There are many fake works of art out there today that are still being passed off as originals. However, there is also another type of so-called skilled artist who can and does conjure up fake Certificates of Authenticity. Well known and respected auction houses such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s, have had fake artwork sold through their establishments amounting to many thousands of dollars, all with very believable, very bogus Certificates of Authenticity.

This insightful article cites comments from prestigious and knowledgeable museum directors, such as Dr. Peter Sutton, Executive Director of the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT, now exhibiting Fakes and Forgeries: The Art of Deception, as well as John E. Conklin, author of Art Crime. Detective Don Hrycyk, Los Angeles Art Theft Detail, lends his extensive experience to help bring home the fact that this practice of fake COAs is more widespread than most could even imagine.

But what to do about the dishonesty and fakery is the question that comes to mind immediately. After delving into the subject in surprising and riveting detail, the article suggests the solution to the problem. The Fine Art Registry™ is determined to end the ongoing and seemingly endless deception that is so prevalent and it exists to bring some order to the World of Art. The mission and goal of FAR® is to attempt to stamp out this cancer that invades the art world, by providing a permanent online data base with tamper proof tags and tamper proof Certificates of Authenticity.

Be in the KNOW! Don’t miss reading this fine article in its entirety at http://www.fineartregistry.com/articles/durrani_anayat/authenticity-certificate.php