Artist accused of winning prize with ‘imitation’ won Australian award with piece ‘influenced’ by Basquiat
Summary
An Australian painter, Jane Allan, won art prizes with works influenced by other artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Nicholas Harding. Questions have been raised about whether one of her award-winning paintings closely copies Harding’s work, while the National Portrait Gallery confirmed Allan’s Basquiat-inspired piece was recognized as influenced but original.Key Facts
- Jane Allan is an Australian artist who won several art awards, including a $20,000 prize from Doyles.
- Her painting "Weight of the Mind’s Periapt" was a finalist in the 2022 Darling portrait prize and won the Art Handler’s award.
- The National Portrait Gallery said Allan’s work was clearly influenced by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 painting "Untitled (Two Heads on Gold)."
- Allan’s Doyles-winning painting "Seaside Explorers" has been accused of closely imitating Nicholas Harding’s "Two Estuary Figures."
- Both paintings show two figures on a beach with similar poses and styles, especially the thick paint technique called impasto.
- The Doyles prize committee said this issue was unexpected and is being taken seriously.
- Jean-Michel Basquiat was a famous artist known for exploring identity and social issues; he died in 1988.
- The National Portrait Gallery requires artists to declare their work is original but has not commented further on the similarities.
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