Gauguin is a forgery, says curator

By SCOTT KARA and NICK SMITH

The air of intrigue surrounding an Auckland Gauguin exhibition thickened yesterday with claim and counterclaim over the artworks' authenticity.

Critics say all six artworks attributed to Paul Gauguin are fake and that an 1892 drawing entitled Te Hura is on a tapa-cloth canvas made in the mid-20th century.

John Perry, who curated a 1995 Gauguin exhibition, said the Te Hura drawing could not be genuine because the tapa cloth is from around 1960, not the 19th century.

"I'll stake my reputation on it that that tapa was produced in Fiji no earlier than 1960," he said.

But Artscape gallery director Tony Martin, who maintains that the works discovered in a shoe box and tea chest are genuine, said some of his critics' claims had already been proven false.

Mr Perry, who has a special interest in forgeries, said the Rangitoto painting and the five drawings were the work of notorious art forger Karl Sim.

But Sim, who changed his name to Carl Fedor Goldie, echoing the New Zealand artist whose work he forged, denied at the weekend that he was responsible.

Sim's lawyer, Ken Bailey, said his client had nothing to do with the Gauguin works and told the Sunday Star-Times that he might sue over the allegations.

Mr Martin said he wanted to "publicly thank Carl Goldie for making that statement."

He also challenged his critic to prove the tapa claim.

"I'm no expert on tapas but I'm putting the challenge to John to prove it.

"Ultimately the critics of this exhibition will be proved wrong."

Despite or because of the controversy, business was brisk at the Copthorne Gallery on Auckland's waterfront, with a steady stream of art lovers coming to gaze at the could-be Gauguins.

None of the disputed works has sold yet but Mr Martin said he had fielded several expressions of interest.