For last week’s table talk, we discussed the documentary “F” is for Fake.  This documentary was directed and starred in by Orson Wells. It was about infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes.  However, we watched a two-minute excerpt from the movie where Orson Wells’ character begins a dialogue. There were certain quotes that I took from the excerpt and explained my interpretation of these in the table talk. 

The first quote was, “There for centuries, created by men with no signature, there for the celebration of God’s glory and the dignity of man.” He was standing in front of what looked to be a castle and the camera was switching back between him and the castle. I thought this meant that what the structure signified was more important than those who created it.  Another was, “Scientists tell us as a universe which is disposable, works in stone and print last a few decades or a millennium.” “Things fall in war or wear away into the ultimate and universal ash, maybe a man’s name doesn’t matter all that much.” This to me meant that the infamous fakers should not have been outcasted because they committed these crimes, instead, they should have been appreciated for the talents that they possessed. Art tends to physically fade away and new art is always being made. The artists that they were imitating were classic artists, and I feel that the fakers were showing their appreciation for them because they stood the test of time.