Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock

[Good Buddy]

A retired truck driver named Teri Horton bought a painting at a thrift store for $5.
She's been offered $9,000,000 for it and turned it down!
The painting was an original Jackson Pollock and has been valued at $50,000,000.
"Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock" is a fascinating documentary of an amazing story that all of us thrifters should watch.
The movie shows very extreme views on art and culture and is a must rent, or buy.
It's only 54 minutes long but creates hours of conversation.

Anyone else seen it yet?

"Pollock" is a movie about Jackson Pollock's life and we both would recommend it also.

The image below is NOT the painting she bought but is an example of Pollock's work.

[Mattie]

This story was featured on 60 Minutes recently.  Teri Horton is a hoot!  Her painting can't be verified as an actual Pollock (although a forensics expert found what he believes is Pollock's fingerprint on the back) so nobody will buy it for fifty million.  She's turned down lesser offers.  Personally, if I was 74 years old, I'd take what I could get for it and enjoy the rest of my life.  She's a stubborn old bird, though, and I kinda agree with her.  The art establishment has treated her like dirt.

[Good Buddy]

Her painting can't be verified as an actual Pollock (although a forensics expert found what he believes is Pollock's fingerprint on the back) so nobody will buy it for fifty million.

The gentleman that made the film we saw was with 60 Minutes.
I think 2 fingerprint matches is enough verification for anyone.
At the end of the picture he mentions that a 2nd fingerprint had been found on a Pollock in Europe that matched.
If a guy can be convicted of murder on the basis of a fingerprint match then 2 matches are even more concrete evidents to prove that it is a real Pollock.
Just because "experts" say it's not real, the forensic evidents proves otherwise.

[MrsGoodwill]

I don't really care for his stuff. It doesn't appeal to me.

Why won't she sell it? Is she being greedy?

[Good Buddy]

She's only been offered less than 20% of it's worth. I think she should hold out for at least 50%..

[Other People s Junk]

I wondered if that documentary was any good to see!  It looked very interesting. 

[Second Hand Sophisticate]

For those who don't know who Teri Horton is (I didn't), here's a link to her most interesting story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/09/arts/design/09poll.html?ex=1320728400&en=64ddfdf517b8a716&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Talk about an elitist art world!   

[Big Daddy Audio]

Okay - not to be the wet blanket here, but...

- anything is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it, so, at one time, this painting was worth $9,000,000.  It's not known what the painting is worth right now.  From what we can surmise, it was also worth $5.00 not too long ago.

- a supposed fingerprint on the painting only means that the supposed owner of said fingerprint handled the painting - it doesn't mean Pollock painted it.  For instance (and I never knew the man, so who knows) - a protege or student or an acquaintance of Pollock's could have painted it, and brought it over to Jackson and said, "See, anybody can paint the crap you do!"  I can visualize Jackson handling the canvas, and saying, "You're right, but you had to be drunk to do it..."
I have nothing against Pollock's work, but I can see the above exchange taking place.

- There are snobs in every aspect of human endeavor.  I was at a tobacco shop on Friday night, and the owner makes mention of the snobs in one of the pipe collecting groups in Phoenix.  He says that it doesn't matter to this other club if you smoke a $3.00 pipe or a $5000.00 pipe (I can't imagine a $5000 pipe, but I digress), that they're all pretty open fellows, just looking to chew the fat over a bowl.

I wish her good luck.  Maybe this woman just likes the way the painting looks, and wants to keep it.

That is all.     

[Second Hand Sophisticate]

You are Toooo funny!  Are you going to thrift an outfit to wear to your reunion?

[Big Daddy Audio]

No - I will have things that have been thrifted with me, but I'll be wearing a kilt, a sporran, a tweed jacket, a shirt, etc.  I'll probably wear Doc Marten shoes.

I haven't thrifted much in the way of clothing, however, I am wearing a thrifted shirt right now.

That is all.

[librarianmom]

I have seen the documentary and love the fact that she found this at a thrift store.  I believe it could truly be a Pollack  -  I found a Joan Miro painting at a thrift store! (Luckily, mine had provenance on the back).

Has anyone ever heard of the man who bought a cheap frame at a thrift store and it ended up having an authentic 1770's copy of the  Declaration of Independence on the back?  Or the woman on Antiques Roadshow who bought a nice side table for 25.00 at a yard sale, and 1)It had the Keno Brothers  grinning from ear to ear and 2) it turns out the table is some type of Upper NE American made OLD table and she sold it at auction for OVER 250,000?

I am hoping and praying one day, I might just get that lucky........

I collect art, and my rule of thumb is, make sure there is some type of provenance on the back and that you would hang it up and love it.

[dewdrop_me_a_line]

Oops! This one is strictly an Urban Legend . . .  strange how they keep getting around!

Has anyone ever heard of the man who bought a cheap frame at a thrift store and it ended up having an authentic 1770's copy of the  Declaration of Independence on the back? 

[valleythriftshopper]

A previously unknown de Vinci painting was just identified through fingerprint ID- http://e.kovelsonline.com/m/1b7GdPTLnkJsMCrRpae8rW_-WhgnzAVbUjzILEwKQLZAUsBV4w
Why this technology is not good enough to validate the Pollack painting is puzzling. 

[el rojo grande]

per the Declaration of Independence: This is a true story! This happened in Lancaster County, home to all kinds of antiques dealers and thrifts.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090831_A_million-dollar_flea_market_find.html

You should always buy the things that interest you, and time will tell if you
have found something even more wonderful.

[elvisgurly]

A previously unknown de Vinci painting was just identified through fingerprint ID- http://e.kovelsonline.com/m/1b7GdPTLnkJsMCrRpae8rW_-WhgnzAVbUjzILEwKQLZAUsBV4w
Why this technology is not good enough to validate the Pollack painting is puzzling. 

There also may be an undiscovered Leonardo Da Vinci painting.

http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-134308.html

I read this story a few weeks ago.