Topic: Worthless? It's enough to put you off art auctions for life...

Park West have been found guilty for selling worthless art for thousands of dollars aboard cruiseships.

Last night in a Michigan court, the jury ruled unanimously in favour of the Fine Art Registry in a lawsuit brought against them by Park West Galleries.

The Fine Art Registry (FAR) had accused Park West of supplying the onboard art auctions with fake Salvador Dali prints to be auctioned off for thousands, when they were worth only a few pence.

The judge did not award any damages, but he did order Park West to pay Fine Art Registry $500,000 for trademark infringement saying Park West had illegally used FAR's trademark in sponsored links in search engines.

Park West was apparently trying to steer searchers away from the negative reports about the Gallery on the FAR web sites, including a special site devoted solely to Park West called SalvadorDaliFakes.com.

The website shows the whole history of a huge collection of supposed Dali Prints that Park West says it acquired and authenticated as true Salvador Dali artwork.

However, the Fine Art Registry's web site not only showed how the pieces in question were denounced as forgeries many times over, but it also showed the many ways in which the Park West had endeavored to circumvent the legal process by hiring their own experts and writing their own appraisals.

The conclusion drawn was that Park West cruise ship art auctions were fraudulent and sales were not handled according U.S. Statutes guidelines.



Have you ever bought art aboard a cruiseship? Did you have it valued when you got home? Any surprises - good/bad?

I guess they can't all be bad. I for one gazed longingly at the art on display aboard P&O's Azura the other week. It was all from an art house called Washington Green who represent artists such as Mackenzie Thorpe, Paul Horton and Rolf Harris. I didn't look at the price tags though... :p

Rolph Harris!..... Can you see what it is yet?!

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Rolph Harris!..... Can you see what it is yet?!

He's not just a cartoonist you know... :p

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He's not just a cartoonist you know... :p

No. he plays those classic instuments :-the digeridoo and the wobble board.

I enjoy looking at the art gallery as it gives me colour ideas for my card making. I find most art/prints are far to big to go into the small houses being built. You really have to have a large house or the print would fill a whole wall. Watched some auctions and most of the art went back unsold as they wanted a much higher price than the people were willing to pay. I think one print did not get any bids at all. Most times I don't go as I have something else to do. If people want art they tend to buy at home. I have seen somewhere that it can be several months before you receive it. I read in one paper that one person was told when phoning the land office that the piece of art was not in the warehouse and waiting for it to arrive. Not what I call express service.
EDNA

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No. he plays those classic instuments :-the digeridoo and the wobble board.

I think I asked for that...;)

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I think I asked for that...;)

Oh we mustn't forget he also plays the Stylophone!!

We bought a Rolf Harris called Blue Elvis while on Ventura, probably paid too much for it but being a huge Elvis fan I couldnt resist and I still love it 2 years on!

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We bought a Rolf Harris called Blue Elvis while on Ventura, probably paid too much for it but being a huge Elvis fan I couldnt resist and I still love it 2 years on!

if you still like it then it's worth it!

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No. he plays those classic instuments :-the digeridoo and the wobble board.

Is he still working
Have always enjoyed his concerts , did not know he was an artist as in art.