Fine Art Registry™ Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Mary Garrett — 602-432-2010
Review of Fingerprints in Teri Horton Alleged Jackson Pollock Case Casts Doubt on the Forensic Evidence Provided by Peter Paul Biró
(Phoenix, AZ. — March 27, 2007) Accredited fingerprint examiner and police chief Thomas Hanley has completed an independent review, commissioned by Fine Art Registry™, of the fingerprint analysis carried out by Peter Paul Biró which was used to substantiate claims that a painting bought for $5 in a California thrift store by Teri Horton, was the work of Jackson Pollock. Chief Hanley concluded that the fingerprints shown in the published report were of no value for identification purposes.
The alleged Pollock painting has received much publicity and was featured in a movie, Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? written and directed by Harry Moses and produced by Moses and Steven Hewitt. The claim that it is a Jackson Pollock painting has been rejected by the art world. Horton has insisted that forensic, scientific facts prove its authenticity. Key to this claim was fingerprint analysis by Montreal art restorer, Peter Paul Biró.
Hanley, a veteran fingerprint examiner and detective with close to 30 years of active experience in the field and currently Chief of Police in Middlebury, Vermont, was denied access to original photographs and evidence by Biró and Horton, and had to limit his investigation to the material published by Biró in his report, “Teri’s Find” (http://www.Birófineartrestoration.com/Pollock/Pollock.htm).
Fine Art Registry became involved in the Horton claim regarding her painting when a splatter-dash painter, Francis Hogan Brown, recognized the Horton painting as possibly one of his own. Brown, inspired by Pollock’s work, has devoted his painting career to this style of painting had been painting in the Southern California area where Horton bought her painting. Fine Art Registry published an article about Frank Brown, a registered member of FAR®, and his painting and tried to get Teri Horton to grant Brown access to the painting so that he could determine one way or the other if it was by his hand. This access was denied by Horton. Various anomalies in the case led FAR to commission an independent review of the forensic evidence. Initial review, based on the material which is published on Biró’s website, casts doubt on the validity of the fingerprint analysis by Biró which has been the focus of the movie Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?, the Letterman Show, Geraldo at Large and much press. The fingerprints in the report were found to be of no value for identification purposes. Biró rejected Hanley’s report on the grounds that these were not the fingerprints used in his analysis, but at the same time refused to make available the fingerprint images he claims he used.
Chief Hanley contacted Paul Biró to gain access to original material used “Mr. Biró referred me to Teri Horton, the owner of the painting ‘Teri’s Find’. He did not address the issue of reviewing his work or meeting with him or Mr. Turcotte,” says Chief Hanley. He then contacted Teri Horton. “Ms. Horton responded that she would not provide access except to a buyer of the painting.”
Although Chief Hanley is blocked in his review of the original material, another former client of Biró’s who also has a painting that may be a Jackson Pollock, on which Biró states he has found the exact same fingerprint as he found on the Horton painting, has contacted FAR and Thomas Hanley, and is willing to have Chief Hanley examine his painting. Helen Harrison at the Krasner-Pollock House has expressed her willingness to make available to Chief Hanley the same fingerprints which Biró collected at the Krasner-Pollock House and so the fingerprint expert will be able, albeit indirectly, to verify Biró’s fingerprint analysis.
Results of his investigation, when complete, will be published on the Fine Art Registry website, www.FineArtRegistry.com and made available to the media.
Fine Art Registry CEO, Theresa Franks, says, “We are simply interested in establishing the truth of this painting and we are supporting our member who is involved. We will persist until it is sorted out.”
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Additional information:
Chief Hanley’s report and CV can be found on the Fine Art Registry website here: http://www.fineartregistry.com/about_FAR/hot_art_news.php and can be downloaded in PDF form.
The full Frank Brown story can be read online or downloaded here: http://www.fineartregistry.com/articles/phillips_david/frankbrown_jackson_pollock_11-18-2006.php and in the January 2007 issue of artantiques magazine.
