In 1982, Martin Lang, 64 of Leeds, purchased what he believed to be an original Marc Chagall painting at auction for £100,000. In 2013, Lang took the painting to the BBC program Fake or Fortune? in an attempt to confirm the authenticity of the painting. It was deemed a fake and, according to a contract signed by Lang and French law, the painting was destroyed, an act which Lang called “draconian”.

In Martin Lang 2/2 (Nude 1909-10), I have had the faked Chagall replicated by a Chinese oil painting company that specializes in replicas. The source material for my replication is a 642x482 pixel jpg from a news article about the incident. I had two replicas produced, one of which I’m keeping as my 1/2. The other I’ve sent to Martin Lang as a replacement for what was destroyed as well as an act of namesake camaraderie completing the 2/2.

I am awaiting any response from Martin Lang.

Martin Lang 2/2 (Nude 1909-10), oil on canvas, 2014