Art forger Karl Sim aka CF Goldie inspired the Fakes and Forgeries contest in his Mangaweka hometown. Photo / NZME
Art forger Karl Sim aka CF Goldie inspired the Fakes and Forgeries contest in his Mangaweka hometown. Photo / NZME
The biennial Mangaweka Fakes and Forgeries art competition has a special significance this year as it falls on the 10th anniversary of the death of the man who inspired it.
Entries for the 2023 Fakes and Forgeries contest must be lodged by 11.59pm on Wednesday, October 11, organiser Richard Aslettsaid.
Karl Feoder Sim, also known as Carl Feoder Goldie, who died in 2013 was New Zealand’s only convicted art forger. He produced convincing copies of works by Frances Hodgkins, Colin McCahon and most famously, Charles F Goldie.
Born in Mangaweka, Sim sold his forged works from his wine and antique shop in Foxton for around 40 years before he was caught and convicted on 40 counts of forgery in 1985. He was named the eighth-best art forger in the world in 2007.
Aslett held the inaugural Fakes and Forgeries competition at his Yellow Church Gallery in 2007 with Sim as the guest of honour.
He attended again in 2011 to present prizes to the winners and was scheduled to do so again in 2013.
“He was so likeable and the competition really appealed to his sense of humour,” Aslett said.
“His art teacher at Palmerston North Technical School encouraged him to copy old masters and Goldie paintings to develop his talent, never imagining that he would pass his work off as original.”
Sim was fined $1000 and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
The lightness of the sentence might be attributed to the fact that Sim did not grow rich from selling his forgeries. His customers paid modest sums for paintings that would have been worth a fortune, if they had been originals.
Richard Aslett is looking forward to unwrapping entries for the 2023 Fakes and Forgeries competition at the Yellow House Gallery in Mangaweka. Photo / Bevan Conley
Aslett said there were always some amazing forged artworks entered in the competition and he was looking forward to unwrapping some that had arrived via courier.
“There are always a few last-minute entries and I urge anyone who is planning to enter and hasn’t done so to bring them to the gallery, if they can.”
The winners will be announced at the grand opening at the Yellow Church Gallery on Saturday, October 21. The overall adult winner will receive a cash prize of $500 and there are several other prize categories. Younger artists are eligible for art materials prizes and Aslett said all entrants should be present on the day because there would be spot prizes for all categories.
The Fakes and Forgeries contest has grown into a town-wide event for Mangaweka with the school joining in to hold its own exhibition in the hall and there is a book sale and a garage sale trail as well as market stalls and car boot sales held every Labour Weekend.
“We got some extra funding this year and there will be three live bands playing, including Whanganui band Hot Potato,” Aslett said.
“All we want now is some good weather but we have plenty of verandahs in Mangaweka so we’ll be okay if it does decide to rain.”
For Fakes and Forgeries entry details visit mangawekagallery.com or phone 027 52 66 612
Anyone wanting to book a market stall or $10 boot sale space should contact Alison Dorrian at mangaweka.mega@gmail.com
Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.
