My Fake Picasso Went to Auction at $1.4 Million

Forgery is one of the greatest challenges the art world faces today, with fakes and misattributions estimated to be as high as 50% of all works in the market.
Before his arrest, Billy “The Brush” Mumford forged over 1000 pieces that made their way across the globe. His best friend David Henty had equally thrived selling his fakes on eBay, with one of his Picasso copies recently going up for auction at £1 million.
Sydney Lima meets the two convicted forgers as they work to create a knock-off piece of art that could be accepted as real. Then she takes the piece to a forensic lab to see whether they can tell it’s a fake.
Watch more like this:
‘Max the Forger’ Specialized in Faking Famous Art
• ‘Max the Forger’ Speci...
I Stole $2 Million of Jewelry as a Fake Prince
• I Stole $2 Million of ...
The Real Life Robin Hood Stole 800 KGs of Gold
• The Real Life Robin Ho...
Inside the Weird World of Art Forgery
• Inside the Weird World...
Click here to subscribe to VICE: bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE
About VICE:
The Definitive Guide To Enlightening Information. From every corner of the planet, our immersive, caustic, ground-breaking and often bizarre stories have changed the way people think about culture, crime, art, parties, fashion, protest, the internet and other subjects that don't even have names yet. Browse the growing library and discover corners of the world you never knew existed. Welcome to VICE.
Connect with VICE:
Check out our full video catalog: bit.ly/VICE-Videos
Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com
More videos from the VICE network: www. vicevideo
Click here to get the best of VICE daily: bit.ly/1SquZ6v
Like VICE on Facebook: vice
Follow VICE on Twitter: / vice
Follow us on Instagram: / vice
The VICE KZbin Network:
VICE: / vice
MUNCHIES: / munchies
VICE News: / vicenews
VICELAND: / vicelandtv
Broadly: / broadly
Noisey: / noisey
Motherboard: / motherboardtv
VICE Sports: / noc
i-D: / idmagazine
Waypoint: / waypoint

[@VICE]

WATCH NEXT: It was the story that outraged Middle England. 13 art students claimed they took a grant, spent it on holiday in Spain, and then had the audacity to call their escapade ‘art’. - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4vJq2N6i9Z2qqM

[@annjay2581]

"Sometimes I do a few Picassos before breakfast, they're not that difficult" The shaaade 💀💀💀

[@scotsman6712]

if he can do these and sell for 5 thousand apiece, not claiming them as originals,not a bad mornings work

[@heinuchung8680]

I said the same lol

[@TS-wv4tf]

so, do you think a Chinese guy making Louis Vuitton fake is as remarkable a designer as Louis Vuitton designers?

[@frogeater4098]

@@TS-wv4tf making a painting and having it look exactly like one of those is way harder than one of those conveyor belt jobs where one guy does one stitch and another does the other. There's actual skill involved in painting

[@khangvinh4656]

@@TS-wv4tf no but it does shave a couple thousand of dollars from the price tag.

[@vahgarimo9864]

Most chill criminals ever

[@halolime117]

Professionals have standards

[@Cheesblenders4all]

theyre really just making paintings and selling them, you dont have to be "tough" to do that

[@vahgarimo9864]

@@Cheesblenders4all ?.

[@beingexemplary06]

stoners’

[@josephpeeler5434]

Lovable rogues who didn't do great harm.

[@preciousthing101]

I love this episode cause you can see that the painter purposely did a sloppy job, obviously he didn't want to give his best work. He was even shocked when she told him it went well. He was fully expecting to get the work caught as a bad fake.

[@ikik1648]

They’re so sly lol

[@penono]

why would a person who creates fake gave away how he does fakes. and let alone let ot have tested lol

[@OmegaF77]

@@penono So he won' be arrested again?

[@DeannaSt]

@@OmegaF77 He doesn’t have to be arrested unless he gets caught that he made a fake and he sold it and presented it as an original. Any artist can make a copy of any famous painting on earth and sell it legally for a lot of money to someone who wants to have a copy of a famous artwork; it’s not against the law if you tell the buyer it’s a copy; people will pay you more than average money if you copy well an extremely famous artwork. If it’s done so well that you have trouble telling the difference, you will always find a buyer for something that masterly done, even a copy. A masterly copy it’s far more valuable than a photographic print of the original. It’s common practice for artists to go into a museum to make copies; they will allow you to sit in front of a painting and copy it, it’s a common practice, has been done since the invention of the museum because that was the way students learned how to paint in the beginning; they went to the art gallery and copied a masterpiece, about 150 years ago the students could be assessed based on the similarity of the copy to the original.

[@racerx1189]

I agree. She caught all the red flags instantly.

[@DavidDiMuzio]

I'd buy one of his paintings. As long as he doesn't lie or try to deceive anyone I think it's pretty cool what he does. It's like covering a song. ...but covering a painting.

[@francogonz]

YES

[@pocketrocket6494]

I agree!

[@tsvetomilivanov7618]

Yeah, a bad cover though. If it was a good one, he would chang something to make it his own.

[@Daniel-ci5qp]

@@tsvetomilivanov7618 shut up

[@harijoel]

Romans actually used to do this. They didn't think copying art would make art less valuable and copied ancient Greek masterpieces for their own admiration.

[@joshuafehr301]

Plot twist: He wants to make you think he can't pass the forgery test.

[@djiunofficial4528]

@JZ's Best Friend Hahaaa!

[@karimixtape]

plot twist: he works with the forensic team .

[@prosaic.7944]

Guy knows everything about Lowry and art lady thought he was dumb enough to use cadmium red instead of vermillion. He's definitely hiding his true level of forgery.

[@joshuafehr301]

@@prosaic.7944 EXACTLY. A magician never tells his tricks. I think thats how it goes....

[@merrymaurader2521]

😂😂😂🖼

[@NickOats]

Anyone else think the guy gave them a bad copy so he can hide his power level?

[@David-lt9jw]

Yeah the colour mistake is such a basic one

[@hunteref.1276]

Exactly the same.

[@icanwatchthevideos]

It was all an elaborate misdirection, you see at the end that he paints in a vault behind a faux bookshelf! haha

[@nathanielbryan9489]

Over 9000

[@sylvesterakaPogi]

Exactly bro...and that Art lady thinks that she did a good job of finding it...

[@davidsvenstrup6688]

That dude just gave them a low level work so they wouldn't realize how good he actually is

[@ihavenothingbettertodowith2358]

Probably

[@theshehzadshow]

The cut at 1:50 of him saying "I served some time..." to a board with "Serving Thyme" written on it was amazing.

[@Joe-so6su]

That guy has a really good point about people wanting paintings and not prints. If they sold licensed reproductions instead of prints that would be cool. Although I can't imagine that doesn't already exist.

[@ShanaLawson]

The people who own the originals don’t like reproductions as it “makes theirs less special” 🙄🤦‍♀️

[@eveking6289]

You can recreate any painting and I believe you can even sign the artists name, you can only get in trouble if you try and sell it as an original, you have to advertise it is your own painting 🙂

[@graham1034]

There are "3d" prints now too that have the raised texture of the paint. Get close and you can still tell but it's getting better

[@charliesolorzano8457]

@@ShanaLawson do u not agree ?

[@ryleypalmer]

@@charliesolorzano8457 they mean the mega rich collectors who buy art want to be the only ones to own it

[@MRSLAV]

These two should have a tv show

[@ZaneDalton]

Hey, it’s you!

[@JUIYKI]

VICE CALL THEM BACK

[@thedevilsadvocate5210]

The Art Team.

[@soniqua2709]

Or a movie!

[@bluefernlove]

I'd watch the movie!!

[@The1stAssassins]

I love how the one guy is like "I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole" and the other guy is like 'yeah, I do crime 😎'

[@dovechocolate8847]

Lmfao this homie paints multiple, almost perfect Picasso replicas like he’s reading the newspaper. 💀💀

[@tring-aling-ahim-bahoo-lah6378]

These guys LOOK like how I'd imagine art criminals to look.

[@phantom4E2]

they look like they made a the great pretender live action

[@fr_elmahir9016]

@@phantom4E2 that’s exactly what I was thinking ! And this video reminds me of the moment where they scam the art guy

[@MrMclanskey]

this makes me want to buy fakes from these guys they seem so nice

[@90sanime52]

Dude you got a like from vice how do you feel?

[@trentdacherry]

it makes me wanna vomit art forgery so i can go to jail for painting

[@jasonMB999]

If this woman is vice's new host, vice has a new number 1 fan

[@MrMclanskey]

@@90sanime52 pretty good lol

[@josephpeeler5434]

I am certain they will not mind selling you fakes.

[@jagotiberan2181]

“I don’t care about the money; I love the art.” I honestly believe this guy. You can tell how much he’s into it when he wakes up EVERY day to do it

[@prodr0xxthefirst267]

The double standard from that forgery expert, making money off of someone else's genius? Isn't that what the art world does anyway? The artists family or descendants don't see a penny unless they're the ones who own the painting originally. I'm with the forger. If you wanna buy a painting, get it analysed, especially if you're spending a lot of money on it.

[@pandakatiefominz]

..."If you wanna buy a painting, get it analyzed." "The double standard of the forgety expert." Babe, you realize you just explained exactly why she has a job, right? She's not "profiting off of someone's genuis" she's profiting off of people who want originals. She's not making money off of anybody's name because she's not claiming to be one of these artists. Her job isn't about the "genius" of the painting, it's about the chemical analysis, colours used, and the age.

[@HondoTrailside]

The art world, does not just make money off artists, they invent the artists. Most famously, the CIA pushed the whole modern art grift supporting not only artists for decades, but a lot of the institutions and media around them, even creating a bulk of the art magazines. Today it is more the ponzi scheme of the auction companies.

[@raph2k01]

@@pandakatiefominz Old thread but the OG comment wasn't really commenting about how the forgery expert profits off the art world, but the comment she made that no one should be making money from someone else's art. It's an odd comment for her to make, the art world is already profiting millions off of someone else's genius, and the forger is simply playing their game.

[@SaltNBattery]

I don't see anything wrong with this? The fine art market is such a joke and only really available to the upper upper 0.1%. Especially if no one ever finds out, like who's he hurting? The dead artist? The people who own the painting, got a painting that's "amazing" by their standards. If they do find out? Who care's if a billionaire gets ripped off?

[@luismurillo9610]

I sometimes forget about the insanity of the art market.

[@bas8792]

Basically they are just money laundering scheme

[@Kaiyats]

@@bas8792 This is true it’s basically a way for them to keep large amounts of cash in an asset like gold

[@alexsaucedo4930]

Something tells me, he could’ve done way better but refrained from doing so.

[@DMWBN3]

There are other videos on him on KZbin. Interesting, even more so as a fellow Brightonian.... 🙂

[@2sik_UK]

Yeah probably and if not he's only gonna learn from his mistakes

[@elisazouza]

@@DMWBN3 what videos?

[@busterbiloxi3833]

He refrained from nothing. He had no talent and spent his time being a con-man. End of story.

[@DanSwerdlove-wb5jl]

@@busterbiloxi3833 no talent? You’d have to be pretty talented at painting to fool other professionals

[@barbicoh]

I like how that art authentication lady felt so proud of herself proving a painting done in like an hour was fake. As if a forger would actually show his real skill while being documented.

[@karwashblark7499]

Did anyone else notice the restaurant right next to the prison called "Serving Thyme"? 1:50. Amazing.

[@maddog4390]

Yes. They quite literally froze frame, showing the sign

[@karwashblark7499]

@@maddog4390 cool story bro

[@forcesightknight]

I missed it, because I was reading comments.

[@katekilgannon3567]

@@karwashblark7499 he's not wrong lol.

[@PaulAllenVP]

He didn't want the painting to pass, total business move, keep the fed boys off his radar.

[@dirkdiggler2379]

lol its obvious he did a quick little painting.. His real ones are using paint from the era

[@SlightlyDazed.]

Lmao he's definitely not done his best to make a forgery, he wants it to look like that's the best he can do, he's not stupid. Also that's stuck up lady at the lab kinda pissed me off, I mean she's profiting of the genius of dead artists just as much as he is

[@ca-ke9493]

Tbf, we knew the result of the authentication already, there is no way that either the forger or the authentication place is gonna let the video go up if the forgery actually worked.

[@wpzxtr833]

also they planted the books at the car boot sale

[@prorok21]

@@wpzxtr833 yep all staged, usual Vice isn't it.

[@1nvisible1]

*@**12:16** "Is there any way that anyone could trick these machines?"* *Master forger isn't about to cough up the recipe for every pretty girl that winks at him.* *The answer is buy pre 1976 pigments at estate sales for a quid each* *Pay the rubbish man to bring them to you, etc.*

[@TheyForcedMyHandLE]

The lady didn't see stuck up at all to me

[@giftycustom5560]

"Sometimes i do a few Picassos before breakfast, it's not that difficult" That line alone is enough to make Picasso rise from the grave

[@mobilegameplaywalkthroughs990]

Surely he was talking about the sketches and what not that Picasso is known to have produced in the 10's of thousands. Picasso's body of work numbers above 50,000 pieces across a career spanning something less than 80 years. 50,000 / 80 / 365 = an average of almost 2 pieces per day, every day. Picasso himself must have sometimes done a few Picassos before breakfast.

[@sl4y8r76]

picasso is picasso because of his creative genius and not his painting capabilities, a lot of ppl draw and a lot of them draw very well but how many ppl are picasso

[@HondoTrailside]

Picasso would be fine with it. Saying you can copy a Picasso, takes a Picasso to have existed in the first place.

[@HondoTrailside]

People forget that art is not difficult for artists. It is difficult to be an artist, but once you have gone through the training and development, it is a skill like any other. Difficulty is an obsession of amateurs. Of course coming up with great works of art is very difficult, but if you could get a great artist's cooperative attention, do you think it would be tough for them to repeat a painting, or a section of a painting. It shouldn't be.

[@HondoTrailside]

@@sl4y8r76 He was a skilled artist, he could do what he needed to do, and was well trained. I think it is open to question how interesting his later work really is. He was part of a major movement in art, but then he just went on and on. If Michelangelo had had another lifetime, he would have created many more beautiful things. The breakthrough of modern art when it divorced itself from competence and realism was interesting, but I don't think it has proved durable. It is sorta like playing chopsticks. I get it, you are only using two finger. Very interesting, now could you play something using all 10 of them.

[@SDALLE99]

“Is there anyway that anyone could trick this machine?” “...No.” Translation: Yes, but I’m not stupid enough to tell you on camera.

[@Paco1337]

Well if you could get original colors from certain period in time ofc you could "trick" it

[@YTT718]

You would probably need really old pre atomic bomb testing paint.New paint will have radioactive isotopes

[@adriansmith7730]

Basically go ask archeologist if they have found any extra pigments you can borrow.

[@stein1885]

@@adriansmith7730 A Chemist would probably be better.

[@JDMatthias]

Yeah didn't Neil Caffery do a few fakes that passed machine inspection?

[@saadeddyne3530]

they should make a movie about these guys.

[@jayne59brohammer]

Please do, would be good.....love a good con artist story.

[@mrsleakyshit]

Billy feels like a character out of a Guy Ritchie movie

[@zefang4637]

theres actually a documentary with a similar premise called "china's van goghs"

[@tessarae9127]

Yeah!!!

[@tessarae9127]

I want the Hollywood version though not a documentary 😇

[@chrisfromsouthaus2735]

To be fair, that lady near the end really wanted to downplay David. It would have been interesting to have her analyse a genuine painting, under the guise of it being one of David's, and see what the results would be.

[@higaddrip2583]

Yeah but she’s not gonna tell everyone it’s hard to spot a fake she doesn’t want to encourage them lol

[@leroyj62]

Fine art is all about downplaying personal experience and skill as it increases the philosophy that it is what you own that determines your value which in the short term increased profit.

[@subratadhar7698]

Well she would have jeopardize her career had she appreciated his talent on camera

[@Si74l0rd]

I suspect it was far from David's best work, and I wouldn't be entirely surprised if she'd verified a painting or two of his without being aware. Clearly David wasn't trying to really pass off that particular painting, but some of the things he didn't do have been done by forgers since the 60's if not before, and there's no way he doesn't know all the little tricks, like how to age and crack oil paint.

[@leonardog4529]

Funniest thing is: if they sold it as an authenticated replica anyone (I certainly would) buy it for a reasonably valuable price, because all the artistic craftsmanship is really there, this is not a lie and the man is actually a good artist.

[@briannatr3876]

He is not a good artist. He is a good painter whose skills are really good at specifically forgery

[@fromthepeanutgallery1084]

@@briannatr3876 Wouldn't even say that. Some of those paintings are terrible. From 20 ft away they look alright. Close up, would never make the grade to a serious/experienced collector. These are aimed at novice collectors and new money idiots. Like the one that just won the Powerball. Ideal candidate.

[@dietsodas]

this guy was making the custom air forces before it was cool

[@dietsodas]

but wait id buy a cheaper picasso painting i dont care if its real, he should sell them as [1"1]

[@dietsodas]

@Daniel Chang i didnt want to post another comment lol

[@felixculpa9390]

Where you getting them colors...are you dyeing them?

[@Auriflamme]

@@dietsodas Copies of famous paintings are very cheap from China via Hong Kong. They have a whole town in China dedicated to producing them. Therefore there isn't much profit in selling legal fakes in the west. That room full of paintings was just to impress Vice. None of them would be sellable unless he is notorious enough that his fakes command a high price in their own right. For example, the time taken to paint a large Caravaggio and get it right would be wasted compared to painting a fake of a lesser known impressionist and selling it on Ebay, since nobody is going to believe that you found a Caravaggio in a car boot sale. While if you're selling it as a legal fake, it's a better time investment to do a Van Gogh/Picasso/Monet than an old master. In short if you want a cheap fake Picasso, there are dealers in Hong Kong for that.

[@igethighhighhigh]

@Daniel Chang he’s too legendary for us fam ! 😂❤️

[@AJpro88]

they're not forgeries, they're just happy little accidents.

[@zippymax1]

Channeling Bob Ross, are we? Fraud!

[@sivartb7273]

Happy coincidences*

[@KittyAdorer]

@@sivartb7273 hes not referencing Bob ross, hes referencing what his mom calls him

[@josephkass477]

“Is there any way anyone could trick these machines?” “No” - someone who doesn’t want people to know how to trick these machines

[@doords]

There is always going to be someone trying to outsmart the verification process and then they will always be new verification methods. This just how this industry works. I have a friend who has no other qualifications other than doing the art verification for life. He cant even keep up with the industry.

[@o00gourou00o]

13:51 It would've been interesting to see what she would've answered to the forger's arguments : that some people do want a replica because they don't want a poster of it and there's nothing wrong with providing that, and that people selling the real artworks are also "profiting off someone else's genius", but without the work

[@tonysuda9066]

What about. A copy to hang because temporary maintenance on the real thing.. Which is needed However some museums wouldnt stoop they'll say they have standards but if tourists are coming to the museum. Money is money is all I'm.saying

[@HondoTrailside]

@@tonysuda9066 It would have been good to have had a copy of the David when that nutjob decided to renovate it with a hammer.

[@HondoTrailside]

People should consider getting lesser known works of art in actual paint. The enjoyment of owning a painting is in the thing, but with the art business, a frankly ugly or ludicrous object can be made into a national treasure, this is partly because art has been separated from it's original purpose of covering up walls with something that is beautiful and meaningful to the owner. People should forget about a lot of this crap that only got funded because the CIA was fighting the cold war (US origin in that case). We were just told it was good. Get oneself some real art that one loves. Start with motel clowns if one is moved by them. But they have to be actually painted.

[@HondoTrailside]

@@tonysuda9066 And fraud is fraud.

[@jeffrey8154]

I really like how she interviews. She really makes it fun to see her interacting with them. I hope she does more.

[@stephenr80]

Shes charming

[@rupertcaney]

This guy is so pure and it's the art world that is corrupt. Good on him

[@xavierfranco5800]

Either you use the system or the system uses you.

[@Sanchez792]

I feel Picasso was just trolling everyone towards the end of his life 😂

[@helloasroma]

I'll take "criminals that I don't hate" for 2000, Alex.

[@SinewMinew]

Instead of spending an absurd amount of money IMO on a painting such as Balthus’s Thérèse Sur Uber Banquette that sold for $399 million USD IN 2019 at Christie’s auction house, for instance, why not hire a forger, like David above or John Myatt or Wolfgang Beltracchi to paint a master copy for a few thousand dollars instead? No laws would be broken, the artist gets to paint & make some money and the buyer gets their painting for a massive reduction in cost with no one being the wiser (mostly). Side Note: It is disgraceful and very sad to know how many artists died in poverty, feeling like unaccomplished, unrecognized failures for their life’s work & who were exploited then by the same dealers that continue to exploit them now in death.

[@TempestPoet]

Because paintings in that price range are typically bought as investments, not to look at them.

[@paddington1670]

because then you couldnt launder 400 million dollars. duhhh

[@plampard7813]

@@paddington1670 🙌 it was 18 or 19 million I believe. Still good money for launder.

[@jazzypari]

It wouldn't feel "exclusive" or "elusive" enough for rich folks I think. Also, money needs to be laundered

[@SinewMinew]

@@jazzypari Absolutely, I agree. If ppl have $1 million or $400 million to spend on a picture hanging on their wall, just imagine what their walls themselves cost. With that much money, they’d never display a fake painting knowingly or willingly, I’m sure. Like the Kardashians, who have billions of dollars combined, would never be caught wearing a knockoff Givenchy or Balmain, their favorite designers.

[@BcnEggNChz_]

Proves how dumb we are with how we value things.

[@mariorossi9655]

The real value is irrelevant. 90% of art sales are money laundering schemes.

[@triggamansa797]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2aqh6iQmr1jg68

[@BcnEggNChz_]

Mario Rossi also very very true. Alot of rich ppl hide wealth in art .

[@l.av.h7812]

No, you don't get it, real historical and unique for their time art pieces are heavily and safely protected in museums that are made to have a vault that can protect the historical artefacts and art pieces in case of an emergency or nuclear fallout because their historical value is so big for humanity that they shouldn't get destroyed at all cost like for example Leonardo d'avinci's Mona Lisa which art style is still mysterious to this day for modern artist that it can't be replicated.

[@ws8061]

Art is merely a scheme by the rich to park money in tax havens

[@knightartorias1825]

"Art is worth millions because of the message, meaning, composition of the piece." Also artists: "Oh, it's not a GENUINE Picasso? This is worthless."

[@miaomiaou_]

It’s not really artists saying that though, it’s dealers and art collectors, who are the people making the most money in the industry anyway.

[@ivoivic2448]

interesting how that forgery "specialist" is so confident in her assessment when she is told the image is a forgery. I'd like to see her act the same way when she's presented with a "forgery" she's told nothing about.

[@ATLTraveler]

Dude no matter what that guy is a TREMENDOUS artist...

[@triggamansa797]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2aqh6iQmr1jg68

[@shsb2355]

Painter*

[@tomasandrasko7324]

These guys are in a way democratizing art and I think that's lovely

[@buchipatadokoroff4809]

it's truely beautiful ngl. smashing elitism one forgery at a time

[@psychokramberry8632]

These guys deserve a movie made about them

[@dionyzus2909]

"What is your favourite thing about the art world?" "The money" hahahahahahahhaha that was amazing

[@inescasillas20]

This guy has an amazing talent. He should sell his fake paintings to art lovers! I’d rather buy one of his paintings than a wack print

[@pixiebomb28]

i cant believe he can recreate them so flawlessly,id happily buy one

[@AYellowPepper]

Especially since prints of these paintings are just as expensive as his replicas

[@broluxgigantos89]

would you pay $3K for a fake? lol...he is using a scam from the past against modern technology....it's like someone from the 80's trying to sell you vacuum cleaners door to door. You just laugh and close the door.

[@neji-hyuga-]

Or the overpriced originals

[@plampard7813]

@@broluxgigantos89 Yes I would, if the original is going for millions, in other words unobtainable for 'normal' people. As said above, if I like something I would rather get the replica on which a very talented artist has spent hours, if not days on, than a plastic print of something which doesn't come close to the actual thing. Most of the times even for hundreds of dollars if talking big pieces. No thanks, i'll buy art, with actual paint, and if it is a fraud that's fine with me, i'll like it for the art. I'll gladly give someone 3k if he could have me a near perfect Rembrandt (for instance) within a day, or a few. Not to sell it on, just for the sake of having it on the wall.

[@spicysrirachamilkshake8167]

Finally a good reporter that didn’t make me cringe the whole time.

[@pedopeter4166]

Most of their reporters lately are cringe.

[@goforbroke7598]

I gotta say she is beautiful, she looks like Maeve Wiley from sex education

[@mcfiou3207]

@@goforbroke7598 bro thought the same way the instance I saw her lmao

[@starchild1198]

She's sexy

[@mattkaz9604]

True. She's completely charming, Vice must have run short of ironic hipsters that day.

[@joelluder8549]

Somewhere I see Beltracchi mischievously laughing at the lady when she said theres no way to get a fake through

[@luhole]

It takes so much talent to do what he does. It's a shame he's not recognised in his own right.

[@ajooni6154]

I dont care what anybuddy says, these guys true artists 😂❤️ peace to them, this is awesome

[@triggamansa797]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2aqh6iQmr1jg68

[@castleenterprises23]

Ive never seen anybody spelled like that

[@vicentetrigo9476]

@@castleenterprises23 lmaoo

[@vicentetrigo9476]

dude "anybuddy"??

[@laz5590]

My friend, of course he is a great artist , the point is, he selling his pictures as someone else creation ! The "selling" is the crime, not the painting

[@vivekp4854]

its really heartbreaking that billionaires and millionaires are being cheated out of their money, when they just want to live by paying lesser tax buying art and launder their hard earned money.

[@ibukun9783]

Lol

[@theresekatie4841]

😂

[@Frfrfr_]

Lmao right it’s so pretentious

[@vvvvv432]

I really liked the point where her fake painting went to auction for 1.4 million - best part of the video for sure!

[@SAMZIRRA]

Props to the woman doing the interviewing in this. She asked great questions! Loved this

[@litpapi9046]

He’s still an artist in the end and a great one too he should start making his own pieces and people will sell them for millions when he’s dead haha

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

He's a grubby little crook and not one of this sort has anything to offer the arts.

[@funtu4921]

@@heraldeventsandfilms5970 I’d say it’s the grubby little rich people that profit of dead people’s art work that have nothing to offer ay?

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

@@funtu4921 Most artists are dead. All artists will die. You write like an ignorant see you NT. People like you don't matter.

[@JustAGooseman]

@@heraldeventsandfilms5970 calm down you little nihilist. You probably lack all creative talent unlike the absolute unit that is David.

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

@@l3k21 Ignorant see you NT.

[@zeusfist]

"It's just justification for profiting off some one else's genius" -Lady who profits off verifying someone else's genius

[@ca-ke9493]

Tbf she is representing her entire profession, which to be a guard against these forgeries. Dont hate the player, hate the game.

[@constantsmile3370]

@@ca-ke9493 She's a guard against rich people getting duped and losing money on their investment. Because that's why they're buying the art.. as an investment.. They don't care about the genius that created it. I hate the player AND the game.

[@1251mesi]

@@constantsmile3370 well said

[@prorok21]

Her logic is impeccable😖😖. He's not profiting of anybody or anything else in that mater than simple human greed. Artist is dead longtime ago and has nothing to do with it and I bet he wouldn't give a damn about copyrights 200 y forward. She pissed me off.

[@juuk3103]

She doesn't even realize that forgers are the ones giving her a job

[@richardsmythe1085]

Some forgeries here are stunning. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if it looks lovely; it IS lovely. A painting doesn't need a name or signature to be appreciated as real art. PS. If you need a machine to tell you there's a forgery; why should anyone care? Share the style around. Lovely!

[@andie728]

This is very amusing as an art student. While many artists value the artist style that these master artists have created the foundation for - art dealers only care about the name attributed to the painting. Art and artists are a beautiful thing, but art dealers and the art market is ruthless and uneducated. These men are basically saying "screw you" to the market, which is hilarious.

[@prorok21]

Remember whe he said that auction house actually worked in their favour because they profited from it? So from this point, a good forger is obviously a great way to inject more money into the market. Originals won't devalue, but overal market value bubbles up due to counterfeit influx. Two sides of the equation, one makes the money and other goes to prison and gets Vice interview 🙄

[@crhu319]

Yup. These three are doing it right. 🤣

[@emergencyexit3967]

Secure the bag grandpa

[@Greenman422]

Whoever owns a business that certificates genuine art pieces might want to hire one of these guys to teach em the ropes.

[@yandiego96]

As an artist myself, going to on of the most prestigious art schools in the world (RISD) getting a BFA in painting and in debt til i die knowing most my work is just as good but wont ever amount to that kind of art market value... i think the biggest criminal act is those who have that kind of money profiting off of dead artists and trading horrid amounts of money between the rich when they should be patroning those alive today who have the skill. I say let him forge and get away with it. The world is cruel and he's just an artist doing what he loves and if u can make money that way then good on you.

[@DarkisArt]

The millions paid for art is for money laundering.

[@deleqtronica8733]

Banksy is the only modern-artist that is profiting from his work while he’s still alive, can’t think of anyone else’s work that would fetch so much while the artist is still alive.

[@EMMYK1916]

@@deleqtronica8733 Basquiat is popular, Jack B Yeats

[@OmegaF77]

@@EMMYK1916 Well, Basquiat is dead.

[@fuzzzone]

@@OmegaF77 Basquiat is certainly dead and has been for a long time but he WAS very commercially successful during his lifetime. When he died, he was a multi-millionaire from his art.

[@BadlyNamed]

“Justification for profiting off of some one else’s genius” - a woman who is profiting off of other people’s genius.

[@star_etraWrites]

No. She is profiting from authenticating someone else's genius. Because the people who buy art are rich and want real art.

[@prosaic.7944]

@@star_etraWrites "real" art? Are you implying forgers are not making art?

[@luisdelgado6248]

She's a stuck up snob that could never paint like the forger can

[@sonofben3322]

@@star_etraWrites if you need a professional exclusively trained to spot a forgery, then that it might as well be real

[@utilitymonster8267]

@@prosaic.7944 For most people art means originality and creativity. Copying other people's works simply isn't that. You may consider it art, but the value of most paintings isn't because people like the picture (if that were the case they would look up a Google image), it's because people want an original painting of a famous artist.

[@leiajiang7877]

I have no respect for the capital market they are disrupting. Mad respect to these artist

[@geoffjoffy]

I've always been fascinated by people with a huge talent to copy the greatest ever paintings. But to look at these guys, you'd never think they were the copy artists. Thanks for posting.

[@jmat04]

he’s so right about prints. i would definitely commission a forgery painting of my favorite artworks.

[@Blaqk_8298]

3:34 "TO BE AN ARTIST YOU HAVE TO STEAL A SPACE ON A RICH MANS WALL."

[@margielamaan]

YOOOOO I KNOW HIM IRL, hes so sweet actually :)

[@Bud4brains]

I wanna buy a painting off him. Guys got skills

[@nicoeeek.7181]

@@Bud4brains totally!!! Would love to get some of his stuff

[@lindamaemullins5151]

Cool 👍

[@JG-vk1yj]

do you know where could we buy some little paintings?

[@FatalBagel]

They're such happy people and being so upfront about it, I love it haha

[@BillNicholsTV]

This was a great episode

[@1DerfulSniping]

the host could give margot robbie a run for her money

[@mattdecker8724]

I know right, she’s so freaking gorgeous.

[@-spudman2.054]

Not really, looks like she missed out on getting braces

[@mattdecker8724]

@@-spudman2.054 All I smell is virginity

[@mattdecker8724]

@@-spudman2.054 Says the guy anonymously putting down strangers appearance on the internet, yeah I’m definitely the creep here.

[@elmersantana4903]

Fight

[@caddyj1]

Those Basquiats give me the chills just amazing pieces those two gentlemen are not dumb criminals by any means, so relatable and talented hats off to them. It just goes to show the arrogance of people who value art and the rich who have them on their walls it's sickening how some of those people are.

[@christophernoto]

Hahaha! Bravo, you! Such a nice little video. It almost could have passed for a Ken Burns! 🔥❤🔥❤🔥

[@oooCoffeeboyooo]

These two lads are incredible, there'd be film here for sure.

[@ThePeoplesMayor]

They still doin it on the low. The guy without the glasses is cheesing it hella hard when his friend is denying allegations of still forging paintings haha

[@tessarae9127]

Yeah lollll 😂 I don’t care, I say get that paper haha 😆

[@KingExodusYAY]

I mean he still probably makes bank just on being able to make good REPLICAS of those famous paintings.

[@davidkellymitchell4747]

Must be nice to wake up in the morning and think "Well, I think I'll knock off a Rembrandt today."

[@bestgenerality1569]

❣️Really Love this Vice Host!❣️

[@bestgenerality1569]

She looks like the girl who was a recovering addict, doing the rehab documentary!

[@Vedantttt]

I don’t know if this is stupid or genius

[@jordanabad5957]

Genius in so many ways

[@savblixky9797]

genius

[@dixienormus6167]

As long as the buyer knows it's a replica I see no harm in it.

[@CS-jp4ue]

People are stupid so it makes him seem like a genius.

[@hunteref.1276]

And what about if he faked the mistakes?

[@PhilipJasionowski]

Art is crazy cause it really comes down to how much people THINK something is worth. Not how much it actually takes to produce etc etc

[@852internationalconnect]

Same with stocks, sneakers, watches, Pokemon cards..everything rare and collectable piece has a value determined by how people value it

[@ninjafruitchilled]

That's how the value of anything works, including money itself. Anything is only worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

[@EchoBravo370]

@@852internationalconnect Not really. THINGS like watches and sneakers have raw materials and labor figured into the cost. A piece of art is just the canvas and the paints....and the sky is the limit.

[@852internationalconnect]

@@EchoBravo370my comment was about perceived value not cost. A Rolex Date 42 just is worth around 1 k in material cost but is valued at 12 k. Ofc the real value is alrdy priced within thats how price calculation works but upcharges are ridicolous

[@kharmastreams8319]

Pretty sure a lot of the value is inflated for tax exempts for the very rich 🙂 It's pretty much a closed system controlled by all the people profiting from keeping the values artificially inflated imho 🙂

[@shanistruthers2069]

This would make a fantastic film - two great and talented characters!!!

[@xavierfranco5800]

I LOVE this girl's voice.

[@azizkash286]

I hope vice's documentaries can stay at this level consistently

[@jameschandler_]

Interviewer is hands down gorgeous

[@tjjones33]

Oh my god I love the dynamic between the interviewer and david

[@openanielbrian6717]

You need a lot of talking skills to do this scheme hahahah

[@HarbindBrar]

This was certainly educating and entertaining. I would love to see more from this series and this reporter!

[@TM-jd3st]

I think he is an amazing artist. ❤

[@dazuk1969]

That last line cracked me up "i encouraged him to keep forging".....Mint.

[@KittyKatJoy]

these guys are cleverly and skillfully undermining the elitist and pretentious "high" art scene, I could get behind that.

[@waqy009]

I just started binge watching White collar and I'm on season 4 and too see this pop-up 🤣 madness

[@geneleoneii3013]

Great show!

[@Alexandra_Wolf]

People always say regarding art it’s easy to modern judge art, and say “it’s easy to say that, if it’s so easy why aren’t you doing it?” This man has the talent to make art, even replicates are difficult to do. Good for him. As long as he’s not cheating people currently. People should be putting art on their walls, not crap from homegoods and ikea. Collecting actual art is accumulating something of value. There are websites where you can hit on works that are affordable. It has increased my love for interior design and life in general.

[@censored_dream]

Sydney is so stunning and charming, kind of an artform herself 😅

[@lllllllllllllllllllll1lll1]

My heart

[@divinepowerfc6017]

Don't be a Simp

[@lS-qp6zq]

This VICE report: Genuine. ❣️

[@pepperpepperpepper]

Except for the clickbait title.

[@battdamon4517]

Great episode and and great chemistry between the presenter and the chaps. Really enjoyed this.

[@filipesrubio4015]

Im happy Big Lez has finally found his passion

[@iamalittleboat]

Profiting off other people's genius is what the entire art industry is about. I think what he's doing is perfectly in line with that.

[@ayayron7776]

*Finally you guys are back to some normal great content*

[@foreleftyall]

i’d love a series on art world shenanigans feat these three. would be so entertaining

[@Wtfwhatisthis]

These guys seem like so much fun, honestly. I hope they get a channel or tv show. Lol

[@shanemathews4177]

These guys are a couple of old Rogues I love it

[@ellegaitor2887]

Surely if they can paint to that standard they deserve to be known as artists in their own right.

[@mattdecker8724]

Of course they do, only pretentious art snobs would think otherwise.

[@broluxgigantos89]

a copy machine is not art

[@mattdecker8724]

@@broluxgigantos89 A copy machine can only make prints not paintings

[@broluxgigantos89]

@@mattdecker8724 A forger is a human copy machine, they do not create art...if you ...lets say state art is a form of expression by the artist

[@mattdecker8724]

@@broluxgigantos89 That’s only your opinion, not an objective fact.

[@slavemoney]

Forge on, brother!