Art - Pro Hart

THE COURIER-MAIL 20 JULY 2001

Art world thieves take Hart

The Pro Hart empire has been radically restructured after alleged thefts of more than $28 million worth of his paintings since the early €80s.The larrikin Australia artist has formed a new company, World Heritage Art, to controls his interests, with a managing director, accountant, solicitor and sons John and Kym in charge.
Kym says the decision to revamp the marketing of Pro€s work was made last year after an increasing number of irregularities were uncovered. €Basically, there were too many problems (with the old way business was done) there are too many crooks in the art world.€ He says €He was being cheated by galleries and people throughout Australia. It was a huge amount. We estimate as much as $28 million has disappeared over the past 20 years.€
Kym says the problems arose because his father charitable nature and the crooked nature of certain sections of he Australian art industry. €Dad would send paintings for an exhibition at a gallery but they would never be returned. Hundreds of paintings have gone missing in this way in the past 20 years,€ he says. Kym says only selected galleries in capital cities will be allowed to display Pro€s original paintings to protect his work and name.
€In the past six months we have had a couple of exhibitions with the biggest turnovers (in money and paintings) we have ever done€, Kym says. €We are doing all the marketing ourselves and there is no middleman. It is in-house and 500 per cent accounted for.€
A unique identification system using Pro€s DNA means the authenticity of his original work can never be questioned. €I can€t say too much about the formula we use because we do not want to reveal too much, but in the past customers did not know whether they were getting the real thing,€ Kym says. €Now, when clients buy a painting through an authorised dealership, its authenticity can be guaranteed.€ World heritage art will also exhibit Pro€s extensive art collection, including paintings by Renoir and Rembrandt, at reputable galleries. €We have already realeased a number of important paintings, such as Pro€s own Mask works, that he has hoarded over the years,€ Kym says.
The 72-year-old Broken Hill resident and farmer, dubbed Pro (for Professor) by his mates because they reckoned he was a know-all, has been an artist for 40 years.