F Is for Fake

So what happens when a prolific art forger dupes dozens of museums? Is he arrested, tried and convicted? Not if you’re Mark Landis. The talented artist’s chief source of mischief (his word) is donation. And you can’t prosecute someone for fraud if he’s not earning any money.

Art and Craft follows Landis and his dogged pursuer, Matthew Leininger, the man who discovered Landis was donating fakes of famous works of art to various American institutions. The documentary is captivating, even as it begins to drag in the end after a twist around the one-hour mark. And who would have guessed that Landis comes would come across as the more human—and tragic—character and that Leininger would take the role of self-righteous jerk?

It makes for good viewing as Landis putters through life with a single-mindedness informed mostly by television and movies. His tale is sad—he suffers from numerous mental afflictions and parts of the documentary focus on his care.

But he’s also not an innocent in all this, and he clearly enjoys the attention he receives in the press and in the art world. As one of his admirers says, why not use your obvious talents to create original work? He does, but there appears to be something in the illicit work that drives him more. Another winner from Oscilloscope.

ART AND CRAFT
Directed by Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker
With Landis and Leininger
CCA Cinematheque
NR
89 min.