Art forger's work displayed at Brighton gallery
Paintings by David Henty, described as Britain's most notorious art forger, are on show at Helm Gallery in Brighton.
Exhibition marks thriller launch
Brightonian author Rob Starr has launched his latest crime novel, The Forger's Game, with an unusual backdrop. Paintings by art forger David Henty lined the walls of Helm Gallery for the event on Friday, 16 October, providing a fitting setting for the third instalment in the Kiara Fox thriller series.
The exhibition features Henty's copies of works by well-known artists. Henty has been described as "Britain's most notorious art forger."
Inspiration from everyday moments
Starr's interest in art forgery began unexpectedly. During an online speed awareness course, he spotted a Jack Vettriano print hanging behind another participant. The print was identical to one he had owned in his first house, which sparked his imagination.
This prompted questions that would form the basis of his novel. What if his detective character, Kiara Fox, recognised a painting that was supposed to have been destroyed in a fire? What if that fire had been her first case, in which a young girl had died?
Crime and the art market
Starr researched how the art market functions as a setting for crime. He noted that when individual paintings trade for hundreds of millions of pounds in a largely unregulated market, criminal activity often follows, including fraudulent deals, forgery and ransoms.
To ensure his story was credible, he consulted Henty. Starr said: "David taught me that a convincing fake isn't just about the brushwork. It's the materials, the period, the painting's whole history. For a crime writer, every one of those is a gift."
The forger's perspective
For Henty, the appeal of his work lies in its technical challenge. He explained: "It was my pleasure to show Rob some of the tricks of an art forger. Copying is technically challenging, so when someone once asked me why I like to copy paintings, I replied, 'To see if I can!'"
A selection of Henty's work remains on view at Helm Gallery. Starr's novel The Forger's Game is now available on Amazon.
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