CHEESEY ART SCAM

Three mobsters planning to pass off fake Picassos and Chagalls were caught be police. “Prosecutors said the defendants planned to sell the fakes through an upscale Manhattan gallery for $32 million. Federal agents, using wiretaps and an informant, disrupted the alleged scheme and no paintings were sold.” – CNN

JACKSON POLLOCK, ARTIST

Most movies about artists are high on the corn factor, with few capturing the sense of the person or the understanding of their work. Ed Harris’ new movie of Jackson Pollock is different. “What we’re witnessing isn’t a succession of exploding cars, but an utterly convincing release of pure feeling deployed with the concentration and discipline of a natural athlete executing an unparalleled feat after years of preparation. There’s also an added element of magic, of conjuring, as something emerges out of nothing, and the blank canvas at Pollock’s feet is transformed into a thickening, swirling, emotionally charged tangle of color.” – New York Times