Art Forger Arrested For Shitting In Can

Joshua Reidenschneider (49) was arrested last week as the man responsible for several recent high price art forgeries. He is believed to have forged at least three cans of "Merda d'artista" or "artist's shit," the famous work of the late Italian artist Piero Manzoni. In 1961 Manzoni labeled and sold 90 numbered cans, each containing 30 grams of his own feces. The cans were sold for the price of their weight in gold. To this day cans of Manzoni's Merda d'artista still sell at auction for up $100,000.

Reidenschneider tried to pass off his own fecal matter as that of the dead artist. "He did an excellent job forging the cans. I'll give him that much credit," said Remy Marceaux, Assistant Curator of the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art. "But his shit is just not the shit of a true master. Any trained eye can see the inconsistencies in texture, the lack of discipline in the shape of the stools. No, no. I'm afraid Mr. Reidenschneider would be better served forging something tacky, a Rembrandt perhaps."

Reidenschneider will be arraigned tomorrow. Authorities are also questioning him in regards to a possible fake Marcel Duchamp "Fountain" recently purchased by the Art Institute of Chicago and rumors of a fake Andres Serrano "Piss Christ" sold to a wealthy Japanese politician.