The point is made in the article; Art is about branding not quality.
He made original art in Vermeer's style. All the experts of the day authenticated them as Vermeer's. Frankly, had he not confessed, they'd likely still be Vermeer's today.
Their value was locked up in the Vermeer name; the brand. Once they weren't Vermeer their value dropped by 3 orders of magnitude.
To all creators, heed the lesson. The brand is the valuable part. Building a brand is the expensive part. AI might replace your product but it can't replace your brand.
A fictionalised account not entirely dissimilar to this kind of story is buried in "What's bred in the bone" (1985) by the Canadian author Robertson Davies. It's not a direct lift, but you'd see the resonances.
7 comments:
The point is made in the article; Art is about branding not quality.
He made original art in Vermeer's style. All the experts of the day authenticated them as Vermeer's. Frankly, had he not confessed, they'd likely still be Vermeer's today.
Their value was locked up in the Vermeer name; the brand. Once they weren't Vermeer their value dropped by 3 orders of magnitude.
To all creators, heed the lesson. The brand is the valuable part. Building a brand is the expensive part. AI might replace your product but it can't replace your brand.
A fictionalised account not entirely dissimilar to this kind of story is buried in "What's bred in the bone" (1985) by the Canadian author Robertson Davies. It's not a direct lift, but you'd see the resonances.
He (Han van Meegeren) was also the subject of a 'Cautionary Tales' episode [0] which I would recommend
[0] https://timharford.com/2021/03/the-art-forger-the-nazi-and-t... (sorry I couldn't find a transcript on that page, I'm sure there's one somewhere)
From bug bounty hunter to celebrated 'fixer' – the ultimate career pivot. Kinda makes you appreciate the hustle.
Respect the technical skill, even if the ethics are questionable. Reminds me of finding an elegant hack in a deeply flawed system.
Reminds me of how some of the best security researchers started out on the 'other' side. Talent finds its way to usefulness, sometimes.
I have AI psychosis what are these comments?