Infamous for his part in one of the most sensational art cons of the 20th century that earned him a 12 month jail sentence for fraud and a Sky Arts TV show, John Myatt, the artist known as the ‘convicted forger made good’, brings his largest personal exhibition to the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery from the 29th September-14th October.
Taking place in the Waterhall Gallery in conjunction with Washington Green Fine Art, the tongue-in-cheek entitled ‘Provenance’ exhibition will display 70 original works including some that have never been put on public display.
Included in the exhibition will be works from his Sky Arts television show where he translates to the canvas famous faces as the masters themselves may have portrayed them, including one of actor and comedian Stephen Fry in the style of Diego Velazquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X.
Of course, no Myatt exhibition would be complete without the inclusion of some copies of the fakes that made him famous but nowadays those signed ‘Monet’ are clearly marked on the back ‘John Myatt: Genuine Fakes’ – a contradiction that now serves him well with his work fetching between £7,500-£50,000.
Of the exhibition Myatt commented: “The entire collection has been put together over a long period of time, building on the exciting turn of events and experiences my life has taken me on including the time I spent in prison.
“This is the biggest show of my work to date, but what makes it even more humbling is that this museum is in my own backyard as I was bred in the Midlands and used to visit the museum every week.
“It is an honour after all these years to go back and instead see my own artwork on view…I intend to spend as much time at the exhibition and am looking forward to listening to the views of the public and artists that come to see it.”
The exhibition is free for all to enter.
Area Culture Guide 