ART THEFT on the rise...

Our attention was caught by a story in yesterdays Sunday-Star times about gallery owner and art thief Emma-Louise Weston. As artist Danijela Vitasovich scanned the business section of the times the sunday before, (artists reading the business section?) she was surprised to see in the background of the featured artical a painting she had been trying to track down for over a year. a painting she had done, and had never been paid for. It seems that the culprit (Weston) had had a gallery in Parnell, but when it closed down, none of the artists got their work back. Similarly, those who had purchased works had not recieved them. When contacted by the times, Weston did the typical kiwi thing and blamed somebody else. When somebody pays you $14,000 for a portrait of another artist that they've never seen, you'd best not be blaming 'administrative fuck-ups.'
Also, the highly valuable "Holographic Jesus on the cross" which previously hung in the IS IT ART office toilets, has been stolen. We don't know how Ms. Weston got in here, accessed the bathroom and smuggled the 30 year old hologram out, but when we catch her we'll be doing more than whining to the Sunday rag.