Gabriella Coslovich wins Walkley Arts Journalism Award 2018
"Coslovich cleverly weaves elements of the story together until it reads like a mystery novel."
MUP would like to congratulate Gabriella Coslovich for winning the Walkley Arts Journalism Award 2018 for her book, Whiteley on Trial.
Whiteley on Trial investigates the biggest case of alleged art fraud to come before the Australian criminal justice system and exposes the avarice of the art world, the disdain for connoisseurship and the fragility of authenticity. It has also been recently shortlisted for the Davitts Awards for Best Crime Novel (Non-Fiction).
It was a cause célèbre: 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 heroin addict who died alone in 1992.
It started with suspicions raised about artworks being produced in the style of Whiteley in a Melbourne art restorer's studio. Secret photographs were taken as the paintings took form.
The Arts Journalism Award recognises a significant contribution in reporting, writing, news-breaking and analysis of arts issues. This may include profiles of artists, features and investigations, reporting on the structures and personalities involved in the creation of contemporary culture, and examination of the creative arena.