Aaron De Groft, the former executive director of the Orlando Museum of Art who resigned in 2022 amidst an FBI investigation into alleged art fraud, has passed away. De Groft was at the center of a controversy surrounding an exhibit featuring paintings purportedly by Jean-Michel Basquiat, many of which were later revealed to be forgeries.
The Orlando Museum of Art has released a statement expressing sadness over the recent passing of Aaron De Groft , its former executive director. De Groft left the museum in 2022 amidst an FBI investigation into an alleged art fraud scheme involving over two dozen paintings purportedly by Jean-Michel Basquiat. De Groft had been involved in the controversial exhibit showcasing the Basquiat works, which raised questions about authenticity from the outset.
Experts pointed to inconsistencies, such as the use of FedEx typeface on cardboard in a 1982 artwork, which wasn't introduced until 1994. Furthermore, the storage locker owner claimed he never possessed Basquiat art, and the artwork's discovery in 2012 remained shrouded in mystery.In 2023, Michael Barzman, a former auctioneer, admitted to creating the forged paintings and falsely attributing them to Basquiat. De Groft, in court documents, argued that he was being made a scapegoat, stating that the museum's board chairwoman and outside lawyers had approved the exhibit even after the FBI subpoenaed the museum's records in 2021. The museum's statement declined to comment on the future of the litigation
ART FRAUD JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT AARON DE GROFT ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART FORGERY
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