00:02The work that you see behind us is the inaugural winner of the Darling Portrait
00:06Prize Art Handlers Award 2022. Once hung in the National Portrait Gallery as part of its
00:13Biennial Portrait Contest, this painting by Jane Allen took out a $2,000 prize. It kind of has
00:20elements of like the American artist's basic art. But eagle-eyed observers say it's not a case of
00:27inspiration but imitation, drawing big similarities to a 1982 painting by renowned American artist
00:35Jean-Michel Basquiat. Now they seem to be fairly much more or less cut and paste and that does make
00:43one feel very uncomfortable because I think essentially the integrity of the artist is in
00:48question there. Allen has already been accused of copying a painting by the Archibald Prize-winning
00:54Nicholas Harding to win the Gold Coast-based Doyle's Art Award last year. That prize was worth $20,000
01:02and the committee is discussing the possible recovery of the money. But when it comes to
01:08works of art, I mean there are no rules actually. You can do whatever you like. The question is
01:16whether you will be taken seriously in doing so. Jane Allen's painting is not part of the National
01:22Portrait Gallery's collection. In a statement, the gallery says the clear Basquiat influence in her
01:28work was noted at the time and it's always required artists to declare they're submitting an original
01:35artwork. I think it gives a really bad name to art competitions where people go to these exhibitions
01:43and expect to see original work. The ABC has been unable to reach Allen directly for comment.
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