An auctioneer entangled in a case involving fabricated Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings has been spared jail time and instead received a sentence of probation and community service from a Los Angeles court on Friday. This legal development is linked to a controversial 2022 exhibition centred around Basquiat at the Orlando Museum of Art in Florida, which sparked an FBI raid, the dismissal of the museum’s director, and an ongoing legal battle.
The exhibition, curated by then-director Aaron De Groft, featured artworks purportedly created by Basquiat in 1982 during his time in Los Angeles. The museum claimed these works had been left in storage and were major rediscoveries. Doubts regarding their authenticity arose after an investigation by The New York Times pointed out inconsistencies, such as the presence of FedEx typeface in one of the paintings, which hadn’t been used until 1994.
In 2022, the FBI seized the 25 paintings, triggering a global media frenzy. Michael Barzman, an auctioneer involved in the case, initially denied any involvement in the production of the works during interviews with federal agents. However, in 2023, Barzman pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and admitted to creating a false provenance for the paintings to support the storage unit narrative. De Groft and the co-owners of the artworks contested Barzman’s claims.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles sought the sentence that Barzman ultimately received, considering his difficult life circumstances involving substance abuse and financial difficulties. The auctioneer’s sentence comprises three years of probation, 500 hours of community service, and a $500 fine. Barzman’s lawyer emphasized that his client is committed to staying out of legal trouble.
As investigations into the counterfeit Basquiats continue, the legal complexity persists. Recently, the Orlando Museum of Art filed a lawsuit against De Groft, who was fired following the FBI raid in 2022. The museum alleges that De Groft attempted to profit from the Basquiat exhibition and was involved in similar actions with works by Titian and Jackson Pollock not included in the show. De Groft has denied any wrongdoing.
The legal repercussions stemming from the faked Basquiats scandal underscore the art world’s vigilance in safeguarding authenticity and provenance. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of due diligence and transparency in the realm of art authentication and exhibition.