mea culpa, given that the article is behind a paywall, I shouldn't share it.
On Fri, Sep 6, 2013 at 3:31 PM, Matthew Roth <[email protected]> wrote: > I have the pdf of the article if anyone wants it. Email me offlist and > I'll send it to you. > > Matthew > > > On Fri, Sep 6, 2013 at 3:17 PM, Newyorkbrad <[email protected]> wrote: > >> (cross-posted from >> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Newyorkbrad/Newyorkbradblog#Forgery_and_Wikiality >> ) >> >> FORGERY AND WIKIALITY >> >> We've all read about people manipulating their, or their friends' (or >> worse >> their enemies') biographies on Wikipedia. We also all heard about people >> molding Wikipedia to fit the world as they wish it were, rather than the >> world as it is—what Stephen >> Colbert<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert>, >> in exaggerated form, calls "Wikipediality." >> >> Alex Wilkinson <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Wilkinson> reported an >> interesting example of this phenomenon in his article "The Giveaway" in >> last week's *New Yorker <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Yorker>*. (A >> link to the *New Yorker* article is >> here< >> http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/08/26/130826fa_fact_wilkinson>— >> full text for >> *New Yorker* subscribers, the first two paragraphs for others. I recommend >> it.) >> >> The article is about a 58-year-old man named Mark Landis. Mr. Landis lives >> in Laurel, Mississippi <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel,_Mississippi >> >. >> For a time during his childhood, he attended St. Mary's Town and Country >> School < >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Town_and_Country_School>in >> London <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London>. >> >> According to the article, dozens of times over past 25 years, Mr. Landis >> has walked into a museum and donated what he described as a valuable but >> previously unknown artwork. He describes the pieces as the work of a >> reknowned artist, though not one of the very best known artists (Paul >> Signac<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Signac>, >> Stanislas Lépine <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislas_L%C3%A9pine>, >> Hans >> von Aachen <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_von_Aachen>, Alfred Jacob >> Miller <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Jacob_Miller> are examples). >> And every time, it turns out that Mr. Landis created the artwork himself, >> and used classic art forgers' techniques to make the piece appear older >> than it was. >> >> This sort of art forgery raises well-known questions ("is this work of art >> the less meaningful or beautiful because it was created by Shlabotnik >> rather than Renoir?"). But certainly the museum world sees quite a >> difference between the work of a great or near-great artist and even the >> most faithful re-creation or simulation of one, and does not appreciate >> his >> contributions. Since Landis never requested or accepted any payment for >> his >> donations, and apparently never even took a tax deduction for them, he >> hasn't been charged with any crimes. Wilkinson discusses Landis's >> motivations, but he workings of his mind remain unclear. What is clear is >> that Landis wants very much to be thought of as an art dealer, and as a >> philanthropist. >> >> The relevance to Wikipedia? We have an article about this individual, Mark >> A. Landis <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_A._Landis>, which details >> his >> history of art forgeries—but Wilkinson's *New Yorker* article doesn't >> mention that article. What it does mention is this: >> *One of the things [Landis] likes to do is check the Wikipedia article for >> Laurel, where he was described as a notable resident, and the one for St. >> Mary's, where he was an art dealer and a philanthropist. Late in 2010, he >> saw that the listing under Laurel had been altered, "to something >> derogatory," he said....* >> >> And Wilkinson's article concludes: >> *After lunch ... Landis was in good spirits. I'd seen him happier only >> once, a few days before, when we checked the Wikipedia page for St. >> Mary's. >> He hadn't looked for some time. He almost winced as he scrolled down the >> page. Then his face broke into a grin. "Hey, I'm still there," he said. >> "Art dealer and philanthrophist."**He turned the computer toward me so >> that >> I could read the entry, then he leaned over to be sure his printer was on >> so he could make a copy. "Otherwise, somebody might say something bad >> about >> me and change it," he said. "And then I won't be an art dealer and a >> philanthropist any more."* >> >> Food for thought.... >> >> Newyorkbrad >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list >> [email protected] >> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, >> <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > -- > > Matthew Roth > Global Communications Manager > Wikimedia Foundation > +1.415.839.6885 ext 6635 > www.wikimediafoundation.org > *http://blog.wikimedia.org/* > -- Matthew Roth Global Communications Manager Wikimedia Foundation +1.415.839.6885 ext 6635 www.wikimediafoundation.org *https://blog.wikimedia.org* _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
