The Artist

How did I get myself into this mess? All I ever wanted to be was an artist, Rodger Cohen thought while he waited for his trial to begin. Maybe it was naïveté or just misplaced understanding as to what an artist really does, but one thing is for certain, the title con artist didn't count and that's what Rodger unwittingly turned out to be.

So what was it that changed his high moral standards? Rodger couldn't seem to answer that question as he sat in the courtroom waiting for the federal attorney to make opening arguments. Maybe it was because of his friends and mentors, or maybe it was always in his nature; but that seemed unlikely.

Arthur Saur, was an art dealer, who gave Rodger his chance to produce computer generated reproductions of lost masterpieces. Saur not only turned out to be Rodger's benefactor but also his Svengali. Saur was a dealer in fake art and Rodger knew that creating reproductions was abetting Saur. But Rodger looked the other way when Saur conducted illegal sales, which was a big mistake on Rodger's part.

The Artist is a fascinating account of guilt and discovery in the life of an artist.

About the Author - From 1986 till 1992 Dr. Rycus served as Chairman of the University of Michigan's Urban Planning Program, and received emeritus status in June of 2000. He served as Co-director of the Studies in Urban Security Group (SUSG), for over twenty years. In 1997 he helped prepare three reports on international water security methods, and emergency response planning for the United States' President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection. Dr. Rycus has traveled extensively examining international crime reduction methods for planners. He has carried out research at the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, and the United Nations Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs in Vienna, Austria, as well as a number of other organizations throughout the world. Also written by Dr. Rycus, Rub up: Musings of a Navy Corpsman, The Noble Profession of Leaf Chasing, The Soil is Dead, and -T-.