The day I was to meet a friend for coffee, an unexpected email arrived from him.  As the message was about a contract and included an  attachment — my friend being a real estate agent — I assumed he had sent the message in error and forwarded it back to him.  When we me

I’ve been longing for an excuse to write this blog and now I have one.  To start, I recently received a blackmail letter in my email.  The blackmailer said he or she had obtained pictures of me in pornographic poses.  If I didn’t pay $500 in bitcoin within the next 24 hours, th

Of course it’s true, the rich are different from you and me.  They have more money.  That aside, if you look closely into any tribe, you’ll find quirkiness.  The art world is no exception.  Where else but there would an expert who is in jail for art forgery, hold court with di

It’s not true that “Money can’t buy you love.”  It can.  Charities are eager to love me.  Contribute to one and I hear from any of their neighbors who are within shouting distance.  Each time I contribute, I’m aware I’m added to a list which is sold to other non-profit

As I’ve written before, gatekeepers, those whose reputations outweigh other standards of measurement, are the people who decide what is great art and what isn’t. Of course, those experts change with each succeeding generation and so, the value of art is ephemeral, something th

By now we’ve all heard about various security breaches that occurred during the presidential election and others at large companies like Equifax.  As a result, security companies are busy milking our insecurities with offers to make our private information safe.  Regrettably, thes

” …there are experts and then there are experts, and they come in varying degrees of credibility.” So writes Milton Esterow about keepers of the canon in the  art world, particularly those devoted to Pablo Picasso’s contemporary, Amedeo Modigliani. (“The Modigliani Code

My Yahoo news page came up with the following headline, recently: “Bernie Sanders followers are among the smartest…  They don’t believe anything.  The post must have proof…”   I didn’t read further. I’m not a Bernie Sanders fan, though some of my Facebook friends hav

My art collecting began with a student’s question.  “I have to copy a painter’s style.  Who would you chose?”  “Van Gogh,” I said, little knowing that when finished, the piece would come to me.  It has been on my wall for 40 years.  The moment I hung it opposite a sun

Much ink has been spilled during this election discussing the state of democracy.  Cries for reform punctuate the media, and it’s heartening to know Russia has been  listening.  Recently, it sponsored a worldwide summit intended to “affirm the right of self-determination.” Am