Not my work, says artist

– In a court case with repercussions for the art world and millions of dollars at stake, a US judge has ruled in favour of an artist who was sued for denying a painting was his.

A US District Court judge in Chicago decided that Peter Doig, a world-famous artist who insists he did not create a desert landscape painting, is telling the truth.

The man who owns the disputed piece of art, a retired Canadian corrections officer by the name of Robert Fletcher, sued Doig for refusing to acknowledge that the painting is one of his works – which means its value is significantly diminished.

Judge Gary Feinerman ruled that there was “conclusive” evidence that Doig did not paint the disputed work and that he had the right to say a painting was not his.

Doig’s lawyers pointed to a Canadian man named Peter Doige, who was a carpenter and amateur painter.

He died in 2012, but his life story seemed to closely match the circumstances surrounding the painting’s creation.

Feinerman concluded that “an artist was well within his rights to ensure that works that he did not create were not sold or offered under his name”.

He added: “The artist has a right to protect his reputation.” – AFP