Chameleon The de Kooning Job: Teachers Turned Thieves
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Jan 1, 2026 Alison Otto, a documentary film director known for her work on The Thief Collector, shares a captivating tale of art theft. She dives into the mysterious 1985 disappearance of de Kooning's ‘Woman Ochre,’ later found hidden by a retired couple in New Mexico. Otto highlights the complex psychology of 'collector-thieves' and the challenges in recovering stolen art. Interesting discussions unfold about the Alters’ eccentric lifestyle, potential motives entwined with fraud, and darker theories emerging from hidden narratives in their lives.
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Quick Museum Visit, Huge Theft
- On November 29, 1985, a man and woman visited the University of Arizona Museum and left minutes later with Willem de Kooning's Woman Ochre cut from its frame.
- The museum discovered the canvas missing during a routine patrol and the FBI had almost no leads.
Found Behind A Bedroom Door
- In 2017 antique dealer David Van Auker found a de Kooning behind a bedroom door while appraising Rita Alter's estate in Silver City, New Mexico.
- He initially thought it was a print until he noticed texture and later learned it matched the stolen Woman Ochre.
Collectors Are The Toughest Thieves To Catch
- The hardest thieves to catch are collectors who keep stolen art because they never resell or surface on watch lists.
- Allison Otto and FBI experts note collectors evade detection by not entering artworks into the market.
