About Ben Mahmoud Expertise Questions regarding "the business of the arts (ie.artist/dealer relations).
Questions regarding the collecting of contemporary art.
Please keep in mind that I am not a professional appraiser, however, I can direct interested parties to sources of information.
Experience 40 years as professor of art, Northern Illinois University
Curator of University Art Collection (responsible for purchase and care).
Member of the board of directors, Illinois Arts Council.
Juror of many competitions.
See vitae: http://benmahmoud.com/resume.html
Publications Many conference proceedings.
"Advice to Young Artists in a Postmodern Era" with William Dunning, Syracuse University Press, 2000.
Education/Credentials MFA, Ohio University, 1960
Awards and Honors See vitae: http://http://benmahmoud.com/resume.html
Question My mother-in law was in the Peace Corps in Fiji. She brought home a painting by an artist names A. Jn. Michel The painting is dated 1974. Any ideas about who the artist is? Is it of any value?
Answer You give very little to go on. Size? Media? Image?
However, I have done an exhaustive search of the Internet and I have found no reference to A. Jn. Michel. My guess is that he is one of millions of unknown artists.
If the artist had a presence in the art world, and if his (her) work had every been auctioned in a major art auction house, I would have turned something up. Alas, no luck there.
Prices of art works are constantly moving up and down depending on the artist and the demand for the work. Since there are no recorded sales of this artist's work, the only way you can determine the value of the painting is to put it up for sale. The highest bidder for the painting will tell you exactly what the work is worth.
You might continue to search the Internet for the artist, and you might come up with something I have missed.
I am sorry that I could not have been of more help to you in this matter.
