Alleged Brett Whiteley fakes likely to have been created after artist's death, court told
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Two allegedly fake Brett Whiteley paintings at the centre of fraud allegations appear to have been created after the artist died, a court has heard.
Art dealer Peter Gant and conservator Mohamed Siddique are facing a committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court accused of producing three fake paintings copied from Whiteley's well-known Lavender Bay series.
Police have alleged the pair made the copies in 2007 and 2008, more than 15 years after the artist's death, before selling them for millions of dollars.
Both men have denied the charges.
Magistrate Suzie Cameron is determining whether there is enough evidence to send the men to trial.
Art conservator Vanessa Kowalski told the court that paint analysis conducted in 2010 indicated the works had been created recently and were unlikely to be more than five years old.
Under cross examination, defence barrister Robert Richter QC asked Ms Kowalski if despite the test results, the works could still be more than 20 years old.
"They may be," Ms Kowalski said.
But she said certain style and design elements were missing from the paintings.
The authenticity of a third painting, Through the Window, Lavender Bay has also been disputed.
Last week, Whiteley's ex-wife told the court she knew the two paintings at the centre of the allegations were fake as soon as she saw them.
Wendy Whiteley said the paintings looked "stiff" and "dead" to her and made her feel very uneasy.
"I don't consider it a bad hair day Whiteley," she said of the Big Blue Lavender Bay in court.
"I consider it to be a fake."
The committal hearing continues.
AAP
Topics: contemporary-art, fraud-and-corporate-crime, courts-and-trials, vic
