By NOEL MURPHY
GEELONG art dealer Peter Gant is awaiting a Melbourne Magistrates’ Court ruling to find out whether he will go to trial over the alleged fraudulent sale of Brett Whiteley paintings.
Magistrate Suzie Cameron has deferred her findings following a week-long hearing into an alleged $4.5 milloion scam involving three masterpieces by the late Whiteley, who died of a drug overdose more than 20 years ago.
The paintings – Orange Lavender Bay, Big Blue Lavender Bay and Lavender Bay Through the Window – were allegedly sold for $1.1 million, $2.5 million and $950,000 respectively to luxury car dealer Steven Nateski, Sydney Swans chairman and merchant banker Andrew Pridham, and to a Melbourne restaurateur to cover outstanding debts.
Mr Gant, 59, who ran Melbourne’s Irascible Gallery, faces three counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one of attempting to obtain a financial advantage by deception.
Art conservator Mohamed Aman Siddique, 66, faces the same charges.
Both of the accused are on bail and have denied the charges.
Whiteley, who died in a New South Wales motel in 1992, was an Australian avant-garde artist whose works feature in all the country’s large galleries.
A double winner of the prestigious Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, his works routinely sell for millions.
Whiteley was an Order of Australia recipient.
The court has heard the three paintings lacked key features of Whiteley’s style.
Art conservator Vanessa Kowalski said paint application on the works did not align with Whiteley’s style.
Whiteley’s former wife, Wendy, described the works as “stiff fakes“.
She reportedly felt sorry for the faker because they were so bad.
