The charges against Rubenstein involve several cases in which prosecutors claim he misinformed clients over the selling price of artworks, or claimed no knowledge on the whereabouts of the amounts paid.
Perry Rubenstein’s career began as an art dealer in New York, where he operated privately before opening a gallery in Chelsea. He then moved his business to California in 2011, where he converted an old warehouse space into a new art space, inciting much interest from both the art world and the world of celebrities.
The charges against Rubenstein involve several cases in which prosecutors claim he misinformed clients over the selling price of artworks, or claimed no knowledge on the whereabouts of the amounts paid.
One case in particular involves the selling of two pieces of work by Richard Prince, together worth over $1 million. At the time, the two pieces belonged to art collector Michael Ovitz, who agreed to sell one of the pieces to a buyer in Mexico for $500,000. When, five months later, Ovitz had not yet received the payment, he asked Rubenstein to cancel the sale, only for Rubenstein to claim that this was no longer possible. According to a detective investigating the case, the Prince piece in question later sold in France.
The prosecution claims that Rubenstein kept the money from the sales of both Prince pieces, a claim that is aided by the poor financial situation of Rubenstein, who claimed bankruptcy in 2014.
According to the LA Times, Rubenstein’s attorney stated the following: “We deny all these allegations and look forward to clearing his name and getting his reputation back.”
Source
Image: Irfan Khan for the Los Angeles Times
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
ArtDependence Magazine is an international magazine covering all spheres of contemporary art, as well as modern and classical art.
ArtDependence features the latest art news, highlighting interviews with today’s most influential artists, galleries, curators, collectors, fair directors and individuals at the axis of the arts.
The magazine also covers series of articles and reviews on critical art events, new publications and other foremost happenings in the art world.
If you would like to submit events or editorial content to ArtDependence Magazine, please feel free to reach the magazine via the contact page.
