Michael Jackson’s Estate Questions Authenticity of Alleged Signed Art Up For Auction in L.A.

by

As a devoted fan who has followed Michael Jackson’s life and career since his early days with the Jackson 5, I find myself deeply troubled by the upcoming auction of his signed drawings. The Estate’s warning about their authenticity has raised significant concerns that cannot be ignored.

The Las Vegas-based auction house’s declaration in July that they will sell numerous sketches signed by Michael Jackson, accompanied by his autograph, has been challenged by the pop legend’s estate. This challenge arises from the fact that the estate previously inspected these drawings years ago and now advises potential buyers to exercise caution, issuing a warning of “buyer beware.”

78 sketches allegedly made by a renowned musician during his leisure time while touring globally are scheduled for auction on August 3 by international auction house King’s Auctions. Each sketch, according to the auction house’s statement, carries his signature – potentially offering successful bidders a slice of both the icon’s and pop music’s history.

Yet, a statement received by THR from the public relations agency handling Jackson’s estate, only days before an auction, suggests that the sketches may not be exactly as they have been promoted.

“Michael Jackson’s estate disputes the claim that this piece of art was crafted by Michael himself,” said Jonathan Steinsapir, representing the estate. “Previously, we had examined this artwork when it was kept at a hangar in Santa Monica airport, and our inspection only increased our doubts. We have repeatedly informed the auction house about our stance on this matter. The estate has requested proof that these works were indeed created by Michael, but no convincing evidence has been provided yet. Let the buyer beware.”

On their website, Kings Auctions clearly states that the auction is neither connected to nor approved by the Jackson family estate. It’s important to note that this auction has been ordered by the city of Santa Monica through a legal mandate.

“This auction includes art lots only and does not include IP or copyrights,” the house states.

As per Steinsapir’s account, these images have been stored in a hangar at Santa Monica Airport for quite some time now. They belong to Australian artist Brett-Livingstone Strong, who was a close friend of Jackson during his last years. A California court has mandated the sale of Strong’s collection at auction — an order that Jackson’s estate is skeptical about due to doubts over their authenticity. However, there is proof that Jackson did gift some artworks to Strong; letters from Jackson concerning artworks have been found, although none specifically related to the pieces currently being auctioned off.

According to Steinsapir, it’s uncertain at this point. He’s not claiming they’re false, but rather expressing some doubts or worries we have about them.

In a press statement, King’s Auctions highlighted that Jackson’s sketches were inspired by various art styles, ranging from classical and architectural designs to pop art and formal portraiture, and showed a deep affection for London and British traditions. The star lot at this one-of-a-kind auction, Lot #1, carries a starting bid of $1 million and encompasses the entire collection of 78 pieces. If the minimum price is reached, the event will conclude, and the full collection will be awarded to the highest bidder. However, if this threshold isn’t surpassed, the auction will default to the conventional method where items are sold individually.

Thursday saw Michael Jackson’s art auction on Kings Auctions’ website taking center stage, with a projected total value of between $12 million (on the lower end) to as much as $30 million (higher estimate) for the pieces.

As a passionate gamer, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve got an exciting opportunity coming up! This auction, I’m participating in, is being jointly organized with King’s LA branch. You can bid even if you can’t make it physically, thanks to the option for both absentee and live online bidding, made accessible through LiveAuctioneers. To get a closer look at the items before the big day, preview exhibitions are scheduled in glitzy locations like Beverly Hills and Las Vegas. Can’t wait to see what treasures I might find!

Emails from THR, addressing Kings Auctions concerning the estate’s assertions regarding the artworks, remained unanswered by Thursday evening.

Michael Jackson’s Estate Questions Signed Art Up For Auction’s Authenticity

Read More

2024-08-01 22:59