“Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art”

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

As the popularity of the True Crime genre continues to hold its spell over documentarians and podcasters, it can be a challenge to wade through the vast cornucopia of options. They can’t all be good, right? That said, I am happy to recommend a documentary that is exceptional in its storytelling and compelling in its handling of a niche topic.

Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art is a documentary streaming on Netflix that will appeal to any True Crime enthusiast, whether or not they care one iota about art.

This fascinating documentary kept me captivated from beginning to end and had just the right amount of twists and surprises to keep me guessing. That said, nothing felt forced, overly dramatized or sensationalized – the documentarians simply presented an intriguing case of art fraud (and forgery!) in a way that challenges the viewer to decide for themselves who was in the right and who was in the wrong.

Art is such a weird thing, isn’t it?

This documentary proves that the art world is a complicated, unregulated, winner-takes-all place that runs on tens (sometimes, hundreds) of millions of dollars and a good review from someone claiming to be an expert.

I suggest you watch this documentary and consider these questions…

  1. What does it really take to be considered an expert on a specific artist?

2. How can you tell a “real” painting from a forgery?

3. What if the forgery is as “good” as a painting by the artist being copied?

4. How much research should go into determining the provenance of a painting?

5. Does any of this matter? Follow up question… Is a painting considered a masterpiece simply by whose signature is on it?

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.