(WSVN) - She is an artist who put 10 pieces of her work in a restaurant to brighten up the place, and if she got lucky, maybe sell some of them. But they all disappeared and now are missing. Is she out of luck? It’s why she called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Alexia is a photographer and much more, using electricity to make art.
Alexia Fodere: “And it makes all these forms, so all these auras come around the object.”
It’s complicated. It’s detailed.
Alexia Fodere: “Well, it’s a process, so it takes time, it takes time. It takes a few days to take a photo.”
But when Alexia is finished, her electrophotography turns a picture of a flower like this into this.
Alexia Fodere: “I love it. I love it.”
Alexia sells her art on Instagram, and then when she rented a home from a business owner, he let her hang 10 pieces on the wall of his restaurant for customers to buy.
Alexia Fodere: “Well, I think restaurants are a good place to put them … and there was the work covering the whole restaurant, left to right.”
When the landlord sold the house Alexia was renting, she had to move out and went to get her artwork.
Alexia Fodere: “I went to a restaurant one day, and I was shocked that my art wasn’t on the walls, and so I asked the people that was working there what happened? Nobody knew.”
The manager of the restaurant said he didn’t know what happened to the art, and the owner said he didn’t know, which seemed strange to Alexia.
Alexia Fodere: “It’s hard to believe. You know? It’s hard to believe. That has cameras inside and out. These are big pieces, and you need a van. You cannot carry these pieces in a car.”
Each piece is priced around $650, making the missing pictures worth about $6,500. When the restaurant couldn’t find her art, she asked him to pay for it.
Alexia Fodere: “I sent him an invoice and nothing at all.”
She doesn’t have her art, doesn’t have her money and doesn’t know where the pieces are.
Alexia Fodere: “(sighs) Help! Help us. Help me.”
Alexia left the art at the restaurant.
Howard, who is responsible if it disappears?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “The law calls this a bailment for mutual benefit, meaning the artist gets exposure and the restaurant gets artwork for the customers to look at. It also means the restaurant has to protect the art and return it upon demand. If they don’t, they are financially responsible for the art.”
We contacted the owner of the restaurant.
He told us he lives in New Jersey, that “I did her a favor to let her display the artwork in my restaurant. The restaurant wasn’t making money from the art. I don’t know what happened to it.”
He also said he was not willing to pay for the missing art.
Alexia Fodere: “I’m an artist, so it’s a lot of feeling involved.”
Alexia now turns her hopes of finding her art work to this story, hoping that someone will see her and let us know what happened to her work.
Alexia Fodere: “Of course, yes, but I don’t think they will. I don’t think they will. That’s why I’m saying: Enjoy it.”
Alexia is nice, hoping whoever has her missing artwork is enjoying it.
But I want to find it for her. If you know who has any of those 10 pieces, let us know, we would like to get them back to her.
And if you want to buy some of her work, click here.
A snapshot in your life causing a headache? Left you saying you art’nt happy? Contact us and picture this. A masterpiece of a solution. OK, we’ll try to solve your problem.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
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