Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Douglas Huebler | Crocodile tears






Douglas Huebler
Crocodile tears
Buffalo, USA: Albright-Knox Gallery/CEPA Gallery, 1985
[44 pp.]. 28 x 22 x 1 cm., staple bound
Edition of 2500

Subtitled  "brief fictions re-sounding from the proposal in Variable Piece #70-1971, "to photographically document the existence of everyone alive", this title builds on Huebler's signature work, with photographs, drawings, and reproductions of famous artworks by Cézanne, Mondrian, Picasso, etc. 

Published in conjunction with the 1985 exhibition of the same name at Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Crocodile tears illustrates a disjointed screenplay involving a number of fictitious characters dealing in high-end art forgery. The cast includes Richard Decker, a “signature artist” cranking out salable objects to pay the mortgage; Arthur Lord, known as “the great corrector” for his ability to replicate the works of the old masters without their original “mistakes”; and Alec Gregory, a con-artist who sells forgeries of famous paintings to unsuspecting collectors. 



"Huebler’s parable is a witty and dark reflection on art-market politics and a compelling exploration of the problematics of authorship and authenticity." 

- Printed Matter




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