| Jane DeDecker |
| Impala Lechner |
| Gary Lee Price |
| Victor Issa |
| Dawn Weimer |
| Rosalind Cook |
| Desmond Fountain |
| Richard MacDonald |
| Mark Hopkins |
| David Goode |
| Chris Achilleos |
| Eleanor Seeley |
| other artists |
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- Request for Authenticity - by Karen Y.
- fake Leonardo Rossi sculpture - by Mary R.
- The Sculptors Forum -- Dialog about fake artists
- COPYRIGHT FRAUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - by Melissa F.
Hello,
I recently attended an estate auction in Peralta, New Mexico, just south of Albuquerque. This was listed as "Divorce Forces the Urgent, Emergency Public Liquidation of the Dumas Estate", auctioneer Gene Finz. Most of the items sold did not come from this "estate", but were trucked in to the site. There were a large number of "bronzes" advertised as "a museum quality collection of Bronzes, Fountains and Staturary after all the masters Remington, Russell, Moreau, Icart, Davidson, Rossi"
Some of the bronzes were very large. I bid and got a bronze call "Boy and Dog" by Leonardo Rossi. Half way through the auction, a man who had successfully bid on several of the Rossi bronzes questioned Gene Finz about the authenticity of them. Mr. Finz stated they were genuine and he would issue a certificate of authenticity to each purchaser. Mr. Finz was questioned by several people who bid on these statues. He threatened to sue anyone who bid on them and then didn't pay for them, and became quite nasty. I did pay for mine and another statue I bought, reclutently, in order to avoid being sued.
Several other people who successfully bid on these and other statues refused to pay for them or take possession of them, and they were threatened by Mr. Finz that he would take them to court to get his money.
When I got the statues home, I find the paint is coming off of them showing a yellow colored metal beneath. I strongly believe Mr. Finz was selling a large number of fake "sculptures". Have you received any other complaints about this auctioneer?
Thank you.
Mary R.
to be completed
Date: May 19, 2005 15:**:** GMT+01:00
Subject: Sculpture "boy with dog"
Dear Mary,
Thanks for mailing us about Leonardo Rossi.
In our web site www.bronzecopyright you can see the big art fraud which is going on right now.
You can support us, if you let me know from which company and where you purchased the sculpture ?boy with dog? from.
It would be more than helpful if you write your story, you had with buying the knock off down and mail it to me.
You can also write about your feelings finding out that what you have bought is an infringement.
For our case in the public and before court your experience in a written form is more than important.
It is a knock off from Desmond Fountain and his work is also in our web site.
I am so sorry !
But we need to educate everyone !
The sculpture has a patina, it is a special code added with heat and chemicals to give bronze the color you want, which is natural golden.
It is why you see gold under the color.
But I must disappoint you about the metal also.
Since these kind of bronzes are very cheep ?made in Thailand?, it is not even real bronze, as we have found out in several labs.
Real bronze is expensive and will last forever.
And Leonardo Rossi is a fantasy, we do have in our web site his false certificates.
In addition, several of the same knocked off sculptures have different artist names on it, as you can see also in our web site.
In other words, out there is a big mafia !
If you are willing to write something for us, we as REAL ARTISTS would be very thankful !
We as the REAL ONCE fight for our survival right now.
We need people like you, which do something against such illegal actions.
I am German, so excuse my English, I hope you understand all of it !
Please mail if you have any other question or like to write for us something.
My best wishes, Impala
Date: May 27, 2005 21:**:** GMT-06:00
Subject: Sculpture "boy with dog"
Thank you so much for the information. The auctioneer was Gene Finz--I believe he has a web site listing some of the many auctions he has conducted. He was quite upset and angry when I, amont others, questioned the authenticity of "Leonardo Rossi" and gave us a verbal "biography" of Rossi and A. Moreau (i also purchased an "original" A. Moreau--a little cowboy with his sister on his back. I am going to contact the New Mexico Attorney General's office and the licensing board for auctioneers.
Two gentlemen who bid on a number of these statues as well as several "Remington's" did not pay or take possession of them, but several people who were successful bidders did pay for them, including me.
After I have written the above mentioned letters, I will send copies of everything to Dawn Weimer (she also responded to my plea for information) and I will give her permission to publish any or all of it.
Again, thanks for your reply.
Mary
