FAUX Real: On the Trail of an Art Forger Part 8

Mark Landis
Also known Aliases:
2009 – Steven Gardiner
2010 – Father Arthur Scott
2011 – Father James Brantley
2012 – Mark Lanois

The New Yorker piece should be out by the end of the month. I have much to share about Landis and will certainly do so but somehow at the moment this feels like a one-way street. I’m sitting here writing all I know about Landis, keeping you informed about my findings, telling my story but I don’t know if I am just talking to myself or if I reach you collections people out there.

I really would like to hear if any of you have either encountered Landis or his alias that I have spoken about or what you have encountered in your research on lenders that raised a red flag. I have spent five years of my life on this one person and I know there has to be more people like, or not exactly, like Landis out there. What does your development office do in researching donors or philanthropists? What have they found? Has this case of Landis made you ask questions or have a wow moment in your current position? I like to hear from you.

I love blogging, and one part of blogging is asking questions and giving answers. So, for the next part I thought we’ll make a part that we’ll call

Questions to Matt

You ask questions, here in the comments section or through mail or phone and I’ll answer them in the next part. I am anxious to hear even the most obscure inquiry from you on the case or even my background…

You all are the best and please keep up the good work where ever you are currently working knowing that your next adventure will be even bigger and better than where you are currently. Do your job well, keep your nose clean and you will be fine.

Talk soon!
Matt

7 thoughts on “FAUX Real: On the Trail of an Art Forger Part 8”

Dear Mr. Leininger;
I am in position of a couple of Mr. Landis’s fake art pieces but
don’t know what to do with them.
If he’s really the big faker everyone thinks , I know a way to
‘get’ him.
I believe he’s NOT really Schizophrenic! That’s all bull-shit
he’s Really putting on an act! He couldn’t be so consistent
and be :
[Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it hard to: Tell the difference between what is real and not real; Think clearly; Have normal emotional responses; Act normally in social situations]
What do you think? we should brain storm this .
..AW

Mark says:

November 14, 2014 at 21:11

I would be interested in purchasing one of Mark Landis’s paintings. Please contact me if you are interested in selling them. Thanks

Reply
1. Mark says:
  
  November 14, 2014 at 21:11
  
  I can be reached at markvicknair@hotmail.com
  
  Reply

Hi Matt, I just read the New Yorker article today and found a Wikipedia article on Landis, which I did some minor editing on. After coming across this blog I added it to the “See Also” section, but I don’t know if you want it that public. You could go into “Edit source” on the article and make any changes you think necessary.

Sorry about your unemployment troubles. I had a museum career that basically ended in 1998; haven’t found a museum job since.

________

Español:

Hola Matt. Acabo de leer el artículo del New Yorker hoy y encontré un artículo de Wikipedia sobre Landis, y le hice algunas modificaciones de menor importancia. Luego de descubrir este blog lo he añadido a la sección “Vea también”, pero no sé si quieres que se haga público. Puedes ir al “Editar fuente” en el artículo y hacer cualquier cambio que consideres necesario.

Siento lo de tus problemas de desempleo. Yo hice mi carrera en los museos, que finalizó en 1998; desde entonces no he encontrado empleo.

Not sure if my reply was posted but a good question! I guess I was the lucky one to do my due diligence as a registrar and not be afraid to ask questions or question a gift or a donor. When something does not seem right, it probably isn’t and here we are today!

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Español:

No estoy seguro de si mi respuesta fue publicada, ¡pero es una buena pregunta! Supongo que fui el único afortunado en hacer las debidas diligencias como registrador, y no temer preguntar algo o cuestionar una donación o un donante. Cuando algo no parece estar correcto, probablemente no lo está, ¡y aquí estamos hoy!

Well, all I can say is that over a 30 year plus period that Landis has been active, unfortunately museum and gallery professionals did not due their due diligence in researching a new donor or if they did know who Landis was, did not share the information at the time. However I manned up and let people know in any avenue I could including this blog. Does that help?

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Español:

Bueno, todo lo que puedo decir es que por un período de más de 30 años Landis ha estado activo, y desafortunadamente los profesionales de museos y galerías no hicieron la debida investigación a ese nuevo donante, o no sabían quién era Landis, o no compartieron la información a tiempo. Sin embargo, procedo sobre eso y le hago saber a la gente de cualquier modo acerca de lo que se pueda decir en este blog. ¿Eso ayuda?