Bad Art

June 10, 2015 5:31 PM

A Dutch detective and Berlin police spent months searching for art commissioned by Hitler that went missing after German reunification.
Officials finally recovered the dubious works in raids last week -- here's how they did it.
posted by adamvasco (18 comments total)

Good news! They found a picture of the elusive "Moss."
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 5:38 PM on June 10, 2015 [2 favorites]

It's like a real-life Lovejoy episode.
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:25 PM on June 10, 2015

how do you hide something that big
posted by PinkMoose at 6:37 PM on June 10, 2015

The good news is we found the stolen art! The bad news is it's kinda creepy and ugly and now what are we gonna do with it?
Really, who is going to take responsibility for conserving stuff like this?
posted by Bee'sWing at 6:45 PM on June 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

This is a very strange story, particularly in the wake of new antics by found art / copyright troll Richard Prince. The article is full of breathless insistence that these statues are really bad art yet it is also clear that people are willing to pay crazy prices for them and are fascinated by them precisely because of their provenance. If a toilet urinal or a screenshot of a suicidegirls tumblr post (unattributed and unpaid for) are worthy art, exactly why are these works which were commissioned and created at great expense by people with at least some technical skill not worthy? Because I thought there was supposed to be something other than political ideology behind that.
posted by Bringer Tom at 6:47 PM on June 10, 2015 [2 favorites]

Fascinating story, but Rainer Wolf....castle?
posted by TedW at 6:56 PM on June 10, 2015

Presumably, the German government needs very large doorstops.
posted by cellphone at 7:40 PM on June 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

It's like someone wrote the sequel to "The Producers" for Mel Brooks!
posted by nickggully at 7:48 PM on June 10, 2015

Did anyone else immediately leap to Mozzie from White Collar? I mean, shady art deals... Nazi treasure... WHAT DID THEY KNOW.
posted by Andrhia at 8:26 PM on June 10, 2015

The Nazi treasure is so immensely heavy that bridges had to be tested to ensure that they could support the weight.

Metaphorical, historical or literal the article is not clear.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:41 AM on June 11, 2015 [2 favorites]

Bringer Tom: "exactly why are these works which were commissioned and created at great expense by people with at least some technical skill not worthy?"

The house I live in was also "commissioned and created at great expense by people with at least some technical skill". That doesn't make it art.

People are willing to pay large sums for objects associated with the Nazis. That doesn't give them inherent artistic value. They are the sculptural equivalent of Hitler commissioning a Justin Bieber album.
posted by brokkr at 2:44 AM on June 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh God I want to hear that for some reason.

I do not know why. The heart wants what it wants, I suppose.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:05 AM on June 11, 2015

Oh God I want to hear that for some reason.

Wow I think that answers my question.
posted by Bringer Tom at 5:01 AM on June 11, 2015

Metaphorical, historical or literal the article is not clear.

Of course it's literal. Germans wrote it.
posted by ipsative at 7:12 AM on June 11, 2015 [3 favorites]

i went into the article expecting to see terrible art MADE by hitler because apparently i can't read.
posted by poffin boffin at 7:23 AM on June 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

I was hoping to find more of these in the pictures. Nazi art's attempts at depicting this Germanic-pastoral idyll can be so hilariously bad.
posted by ipsative at 8:36 AM on June 11, 2015

You know who else scoured the world seizing art...
posted by vorpal bunny at 9:29 AM on June 11, 2015

You know what would be Great Art

If someone photoshopped Hitler shaking hands with Bieber wearing those overalls
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:01 PM on June 11, 2015