art and craft
the story of Mark Landis
Mark Landis is one of the most prolific art forgers in US history. Dressed as a jesuit priest or under the name of a philanthropic donor, he goes from one museum to another in order to give his reproductions. Over the years, Landis gave more than hundreds of works to galleries across the Unites Sates. His paintings are so similar to the originals that everyone falls into the trap. The master of duplication covers a huge range of paintings styles and periods, including 15th Century Icons, the Hudson River School, and Picasso. However, unlike most of the forgers, he doesn’t do it for money nor to prove anything, so the question is: why is he doing it?
Curator Matthew Leininger tried to answer the question. Few years ago, he began gathering information on this odd forger and soon became obsessed with him. He obstinately tried to track him down as he attempted to find whatever he could on Landis and his donations.
And now, thanks to Jennifer Grausman for directing and producing “Art and Craft”, a Kickstarter-funded documentary telling the story of Mark Landis, and how Leininger discovered him.