In conversation with Philip Bacon
Whiteley On Trial
QAG Lecture Theatre
Art / Biography / True Crime
341
#Performances
#About the event
Duration: 60 minutes
The biggest case of alleged art fraud to come before the Australian criminal justice system, a $4.5 million sting drawing in one of the country's most gifted and ultimately tragic artists, Brett Whiteley. A true tale of crime in the art world.
Presented by Philip Bacon Galleries
#Artist
Gabriella Coslovich
Gabriella Coslovich is a freelance writer, journalist and editor with more than 20 years’ experience, including 15 years at The Age newspaper in Melbourne where she specialised in the arts. She has profiled artists as diverse as John Cale and Barry Humphries, Miriam Margolyes and Gina Lollobrigida, and was the first person to unearth and interview David Walsh, the idiosyncratic professional gambler and owner of the now world-famous Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Tasmania.
In 2010 she broke the story of an audacious alleged art fraud involving three huge paintings in the style of the late Australian artist Brett Whiteley. The alleged fraud would eventually be tried in the Supreme Court of Victoria and become the basis for her book Whiteley on Trial.
#Moderator
Philip Bacon
Dr Philip Bacon AM is an art dealer and philanthropist well-known for his contribution to the arts in Australia.
After working briefly in finance, Dr Bacon began a career in the arts in the late 1960s as a mentee of Keith Moore, the owner of Brisbane’s Grand Central Gallery. In 1974, Dr Bacon opened his own commercial gallery in Brisbane, hoping to support upcoming Australian artists and offer them a platform for promotion. In the more than 45 years since its opening, Philip Bacon Galleries has become a mainstay of the arts community, and Dr Bacon’s trusted judgement continues to be sought by artists and collectors alike.
In 1999, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the visual and performing arts. The same year, he received a Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa from UQ.
Dr Bacon is also recognised for his dedication to the betterment of the arts in Australia through philanthropy. He has made significant gifts and contributed pieces from his own collection to Australia’s art galleries. In 2019 he was named Australia’s Leading Philanthropist in the Australian Philanthropy Awards. He has also served on the boards of several organisations including Opera Australia and the National Art Gallery.
