How Much Is an Andy Warhol?

This article talks about an interesting scandal in the history of art at "Art by Telephone" by Andy Warhol. A man named Joe Simon bought a red self-portrait of Andy Warhol silkscreen on canvas in 1989 for investment. But then the Andy Warhol Authentication Board refused to certify the work, even the painting was signed by the artist. In other words, the painting is worth nothing. The committee explained that Warhol was not present during the creation of the work - he gave the printer instructions by phone. While Andy Warhol is famous for producing artworks in a mass scale with the help of a telephone and the execution of his assistants and printers, the Board aims to eliminate the "ready made" to preserve those that are rare. Thus, Andy Warhol's "art by phone" has triggered controversies on authorship in general.

I think that "the art by telephone" gives a delicate gray area on the authenticity of an artwork. The works of "art by phone" are not created by the artist himself, but the artist permits, or even demands, the production of the works. It's really difficult to decide whether a work is authentic or not. But I probably agree with the committee - only works that artists create themselves should be considered authentic. Perhaps art investors should be more careful when they encounter "ready made" artworks, especially those of Andy Warhol!