ConArtist by Tony Tetro

Author:Tony Tetro [Tony Tetro and Giampiero Ambrosi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hachette Books
Published: 2022-11-22T00:00:00+00:00

fourteen

SCHIZOPHRENIC LIFE

(1987)

In 1987, Tommy called me from New York. He was laughing and said that he had just seen a Dalí painting I had sold him on the cover of a Japanese exhibition catalog. It was for a retrospective at the art foundation of one of Japan’s big car manufacturers. The painting was a portrait of Dalí’s wife, Gala, that I had done based on one of his real drawings. In it, she was facing forward with one breast exposed and an elaborate pendant necklace on her sternum.

Except for a kind of halo around her head that I should have darkened more with burnt umber, I thought it had come out well and I was happy with it. I have to say that I was proud it had made the cover. A major retrospective of a prolific artist like Dalí would have included scores of paintings, and the fact that mine had been selected gave me a sense of validation.

Usually I had no idea where my works ended up or who had bought them. Once they left my hands, the rest was up to the dealers and they could do whatever they wanted. I never liked to ask questions and I figured the less I knew the better. With Tommy, though, I had a close relationship and we talked about things. He had no idea how the painting had reached Japan, but he thought it was great. I wasn’t so sure.

Tommy had a good relationship with the cops because of his background. He felt confident he’d get the benefit of the doubt, but for me, things were different. I wouldn’t quite say that I was concerned, but I didn’t know if this would come back to bite me. In general, I thought it was better to fly under the radar than to be in the spotlight.

Not long after the catalog came out, I heard from Mitch Geller that the Center Art Gallery in Hawaii had been busted. It was a big deal and everybody was talking about it because so much of our stuff had gone through there. Center had already faced a class-action lawsuit about their art investment claims, which they settled, but now they were being accused of selling fake Dalís, and this hit a little closer to home.

Like other art dealers around the world, Center had bought the blank sheets of paper that Dalí had signed and sold. They printed their own art on it and sold it on with the blessing of the artist himself. Legally, it was a gray area because Dalí knew what was happening and seemingly didn’t object. As long as he got paid, he didn’t care. As far as Center was concerned, it had all been fair and square, but the cops didn’t seem to agree.

I didn’t like the sound of it, but Geller, Hefflinger, and Sawicki didn’t seem too concerned; to them, it was all just juicy gossip, which they loved recounting, along with dark rumors about the owners’ private lives.

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