Maximalist artist for minimum fuss

A CONCILIATORY Richard Dunlop has admitted the "squabble" that landed him in court on charges of art theft was not worth it

A CONCILIATORY Richard Dunlop has admitted the "squabble" that landed him in court on charges of art theft was not worth it, as he moves to put his career back on track.

The self-styled "maximalist", whose paintings will go on show next month at a Brisbane exhibition, Larger than Life, has spoken of his legal battle after he was accused by police of stealing works by artists including William Robinson, Allyson Reynolds and Scott Whittaker.

The affair was billed as Australia's largest alleged art theft, but Dunlop was the victor last November, when he was found not guilty by a District Court jury in Brisbane of stealing and fraud.

Dunlop, 49, said from his Sandringham home in Melbourne's east yesterday that his attention was now focused on his exhibition.

"I'm not particularly interested in inflaming anyone's passions," he said.

Dunlop conceded the case had taken a heavy toll on all concerned.

"What I will say is there are a number of relationships that are fairly ancient on the whole, and they didn't end on good interpersonal terms, but relationships end and I'm just happy to move on. I'm happy for other people to move on. I'm sick of the inside of courts."

Dunlop said the case had put stress "on other parties" as well as his family. "There's a ripple effect to these things," he said. "With what the squabble appears to be over, my personal view is it was not worth it."

Dunlop, an artist for 20 years, whose work has been exhibited in major galleries around the country, had his former Brisbane home raided by police.

The prosecution alleged he had dozens of stolen works there, some taken from a gallery co-founded by Reynolds and Whittaker. Others were alleged to have been stolen from Sydney galleries, including that of art dealer Ray Hughes.

Dunlop disputed this, saying he had been encouraged to accept works by other artists in lieu of payment for his own work.

"Accusations were made which I stated were untrue, and that was the finding (of the jury last November)," he said.

His new exhibition will run at the Jan Murphy Gallery in Brisbane from April 13 to May 1.