Exeter gallery shows work by infamous art forger

News Desk
Authored by News Desk
Posted Friday, October 24, 2014 - 4:26am

A new collection by an infamous art forger will be on display at an Exeter art gallery for two weeks only.

Castle Galleries, Exeter will be exhibiting the works of painter John Myatt from Saturday 25th October until Sunday 9th November.

Myatt rose to fame through his involvement in what Scotland Yard refers to as ‘the biggest art fraud of the 20th century’. His unique story has caught the eye of media producers across the globe, and has been the subject of two major TV series, as well as the upcoming Hollywood movie ‘Genuine Fakes’, and the universally published book ‘The Conman’.

Castle Galleries, Exeter will be displaying original pieces by Myatt, including ‘Dancing Children Joined By Birds And Constellations in the style of Joan Miro’, ‘Violin Surtable in the style of Joan Gris 1920’, ‘View Of Antibes (Morning Effect) in the style of Claude Monet’ and ‘The Casino At Nice in the style of Raoul Dufy 1939’.

Myatt’s impressive new collection demonstrates the 69-year-old’s meticulous attention to detail, in producing paintings that are inspired by some of the greatest artists of all time, and cementing Myatt’s credentials as an artist in his own right.

Rita Jones, Castle Galleries, Exeter’s gallery manager, said: “John’s exciting works challenge the art world because they dare to blur the edges between real and fake.

“Not only that, the collection clearly demonstrates why Myatt is a talent in his own right. Works such as ‘Pigeon And Apple View From E Wing Brixton Prison’ and ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, which are by him and not in another artist’s style, demonstrate his expertise.”

Working from his studio, Myatt uses the rich and varied array of resources available to him, which has enabled him to push the boundaries further with his art.

“With this collection I have stretched myself further than I have ever done before to produce artworks that are challenging both to create and to look at. The difference between me and a forger is that I don’t do copies anymore. While there are plenty of people who will copy a master, I will create a painting in the style of an artist – and there lies a very important distinction.”

Speaking of his Lichtenstein piece, titled ‘Genuine Fake’, Myatt said that this was not just a challenge to paint, but it was also a nod to his fraudulent past as a forger.

Myatt said: “I know that I’ll always be known as the art forger who duped the experts but while that period of my life is definitely over, it set me on a path I never knew would be possible.”

Limited edition prints of John Myatt’s work are available to buy and start from £995.

The collection is free of charge to view at Castle Galleries, Exeter from Saturday 25th October until Sunday 9th November.

For more information visit Castle Galleries, Exeter, telephone 01392 425 242 or visit www.castlegalleries.com.

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