Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The United States Vs Alfredo Martinez

The United States Vs Alfredo Martinez

Sosinski, Ronald

Hardcover

American Art - Hispanic & LatinoFolk & Outsider ArtIndividual Artists

Publisher Price: $50.00

ISBN13: 9798991223454
Publisher: Artvoices Art Books
Published: Jul 21 2026
Pages: 120
Weight: 1.63
Height: 0.60 Width: 8.60 Depth: 11.00
Language: English
The United States vs Alfredo Martinez documents the life and work the New York City-based artist notorious for forging the works of artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. He was arrested for wire fraud after selling forged Basquiats and sentenced to time in prison in 2002. During his time in prison, Martinez continued making art using unconventional materials like coffee and fruit juice and his work was even featured in gallery shows. He saw his imprisonment as a publicity stunt and an opportunity to make a statement about the art world's valuation of authenticity and money. He even gave a forgery master class as part of The Downtown Biennial where attendees learned how to create a fake Basquiat. Martinez later collaborated with and mentored Anna Delvey (Anna Sorokin), a con artist who had also been imprisoned for defrauding the art world. Martinez curated a show of Delvey's work, and even created some of the pieces himself when she faced prison restrictions. Alfredo Martinez passed away in 2023 at the age of 56. His life and unconventional approach to art cemented his place in New York's underground art scene and earned him a spot in collections like the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Rothschild Collection.

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