Dispute intensifies over possible Pollock paintings

The foundation charged with protecting the legacy of Jackson Pollock is escalating its dispute with Alex Matter, the New York filmmaker who has found paintings he says were done by the late artist.

At issue: Matter's alleged sale of some of the paintings, and a report commissioned by Matter from James Martin, a forensic scientist based in Williamstown.

Martin and Matter have been locked in a conflict over the release of the report, meant to determine whether more than two dozen works found by Matter in 2002 are authentic Pollocks or imitations. The works, which have never been seen by the public, will be shown as part of an exhibition at Boston College's McMullen Museum of Art in September. Matter found the works in a locker rented by his late father, Herbert, labeled as pieces by Pollock. Herbert Matter was a close friend of Pollock.

Amid continuing controversy over the authentication of the works, The New York Times reported yesterday that Alex Matter has sold some of the paintings.

But Matter has repeatedly stated he has no plans to sell the works. And the filmmaker, whom the Times could not reach for its story, told the Globe by phone yesterday that he has not sold any of the paintings.

At the middle of the controversy is the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, which has urged Matter to allow the release of Martin's forensic report.

Matter and his attorney, Jeremy Epstein, say they want to sit down with Martin to discuss his findings before the report is released. But Martin says he won't unless Epstein agrees not to sue him, according to Epstein.

Stan Parese, Martin's attorney, said yesterday: "Mr. Martin has done something like 1,300 investigations in his career. . . . He's never been asked to meet with a lawyer. It's so far out of the norm."

Ronald Spencer, lawyer for the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, said yesterday that the foundation believes the report is ready to be released. "It's unfortunate that Alex Matter will not allow for the release of the report on the supposed grounds that the report is incomplete," said Spencer. "The foundation does not believe the report is incomplete."

Spencer added, "The foundation's position is we've seen no hard evidence these paintings are by Pollock."

Spencer said the foundation provided the Times with a memo about the alleged sale of the paintings as a way to put more pressure on Matter to release Martin's report. The memo, from foundation chairman Charles Bergman, was written after a January 2006 lunch with New York art dealer Ronald Feldman, who is currently storing the Matter pictures.

The memo, referenced in yesterday's Times story and later provided to the Globe, has Bergman stating that Feldman said at the lunch that he "not only owns some of the Matter Pollocks, but is designated to sell others, (some of which he owns with Alex!)"

Matter told the Globe yesterday that Feldman does not own any of the paintings. He said he has told Feldman that if Matter were to ever sell any of the paintings, he would reimburse the dealer for about $200,000 in expenses for insurance, conservation, and other costs.

Feldman did not return phone calls yesterday. New York Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis said that "based on the reporting, we believe that the story is accurate."

Matter's conflict with the Pollock-Krasner Foundation is not new. It has focused on questions raised about the authenticity of the paintings by scholars familiar with Pollock's work and scientists at Harvard University who analyzed the paint and materials used in some of the paintings. The dispute has created a rift among some of the scholars who once worked closely to study Pollock.

The Museum of Fine Arts is studying some of the Matter works and plans to publish the results in the McMullen catalog this fall. The McMullen exhibition is being curated by Ellen Landau, a Pollock historian who has said she believes the works are authentic.

Spencer said that this summer, the foundation will issue its own report on Matter's contested paintings, which will incorporate the studies and views of experts. Spencer said he intends to invite Landau to contribute.

Geoff Edgers can be reached at gedgers@globe.com. For more on the arts go to boston.com/ae/ theater_arts/ exhibitionist.

(Clarification: In a story in yesterday's Living/Arts section about filmmaker Alex Matter, who owns more than two dozen artworks he believes were painted by Jackson Pollock, Matter denied that he had sold any of the paintings. But after the story appeared, he clarified his position, saying New York art dealer Ronald Feldman indeed had either partial or full ownership of a few of the works. He said that his agreement with the dealer, undertaken to pay Feldman for expenses, is verbal and that he does not know how many works are involved, as it depends largely on their authentication.)