Victoria Laurie; 25/9/08
Artist Freddie Timms has often painted the hidden contours and rolling rivers of his country between Warmun and Turkey Creek in north Western Australia, but his latest canvas holds a particular secret. Wunubi Springs is the first indigenous artwork to contain chemical encoding, a technique being trialled by the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Forensic Science as a way of distinguishing authentic works from forgeries. Each of the five colours Timms used has been encoded with a distinct chemical cocktail, effectively adding a “fingerprint” that can be read by laser to confirm the authenticity of the Jirrawun artist’s work. “We can embed the chemical in the paints or apply a cocktail to a completed painting,” said Rachel Green, a forensic scientist at the university who is researching ways to tackle the growing trade in forged artwork.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24399057-5013404,00.html
Tags: Aboriginal, Art protection