Gallery Scam

<p>My partner and girlfriend had a show at a gallery of pictures from a 2005 trip to Russia and Siberia. (The show was held three days after I had a nearly fatal car crash...) One customer took three pieces off the wall and carried them around planning to buy them. Now, we work with B&W film and a darkroom, but this is not an argument about dig/film.<br>

OK, the gallery owner told the customer he'd like to hang the pictures until Monday and could the customer come by then? Well, it turned out "No Sale" for us, but because of a scam the gallery pulled. They took down the three photos, pulled them from the frames, took digital photos and printed them the same size. They framed them and reframed the darkroom versions so badly we could tell when we retrieved them. They sold the digital prints and pocketed the money.<br>

The owners' "Bonnie and Clyde" adventure has taken them from Michigan to Colorado to New Mexico, where this happened, and were last seen in Arizona. They owe a lot of people money here in New Mexico. They better not return...<br>

A trick? Send an anonymous friend into the gallery you show at and see what happens.</p>

<p>Wow, that's crazy to hear! That thought has crossed my mind, but I never realized that it actually happened.</p>

<p>Sorry to hear about the accident, but thanks for the tip.</p>

<p>Crikey Gordon:</p>

<p>That's a first, I've never heard about anything like this before. The photography world is small and rumour spreads like wildfire. Hopefully these b@$*ards will get what's coming to them sooner rather than later.</p>

<p>So, how do you know all this happened while presumably you or your friends weren't there? And wouldn't it be a good idea to tell us the name of the scammer?</p>

<p>My girlfriend did attend the opening (I had skull surgery two days before). I am not afraid to give the name "Chicon" and as with most scammers and confidence types Lucas and Kathy are the nicest people you will meet!<br>

Here's a 3-D version: A guy I know at the Spa specializes in wire mesh art, presumably covered with plaster of Paris. He shows in the US, Europe and South America. He was in New Orleans and a couple doors from where he shows he saw a wire mesh piece in a shop window. So he innocently walked in without ID'ing himself. The owner liked his interest and said the artist came up with the idea in 1995 with newspaper articles to prove it, and there's a guy (friend's name) down the street who is copying them. My friend let them dig the hole deeper and then handed the owner a card. "I am Ray D____ and I started doing this in 1985. I frankly don't care if you don't like my work but never ever again lie about it!" and walked out.</p>