Final sign-off for Goldie imitator

Convicted art forger Karl Sim changed his name by deed poll to Carl Feodor Goldie so he could legally sign pictures as C.F. Goldie. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Money not as important as beating `snooty' art people, says convicted forger's sister

He became the first New Zealander to be convicted for art forgery, but Carl Goldie's family don't think he minded too much.

"I think he probably quite liked it. He knew it would happen - that eventually someone would wake up to the fact," older sister Margaret Jones said yesterday.

Mr Goldie died in hospital on Monday night, aged 89. He made headlines in 1985 with his arrest for art forgery after he copied and sold paintings and drawings by artists such as Charles F. Goldie, Rita Angus and Colin McCahon.

Born Karl Sim, after his court case he changed his name to Carl Feodor Goldie so he could legally sign pictures as C.F. Goldie.

Mrs Jones told the Herald yesterday her brother was not bothered by the notoriety.

'He didn't do it for money or anything, he did it to beat the establishment - because arty people can get a bit snooty. But beating them was his main aim."

However, he didn't let his victories over the art world go to his head.

"He didn't like it in the fact he was strutting around saying 'look at me I am this and I did that'. He wasn't like that, it was just 'I have shown up the art world'. He also didn't worry what people said about him. He just went on his merry way."

Mr Goldie, aka Sim, fooled art experts who bought the artworks from his store. However, he stopped passing them off as originals after his conviction.

Mrs Jones was proud of him. "He was a very good artist, even though he was a forger. I mean experts can't tell the difference between his and the real person's."

He discovered he was an artist when he was 14 and studying at a technical college in Palmerston North where he developed the "talent he was born with".

"He had an interesting life. People who have talked about him have said what an interesting, kind man ... Kindness seems to be the prevailing word. He was a gentle, kind person."

She thought the work he was most proud of was the "Goldies" he painted. "Goldie was his favourite artist."

In recent years he developed arthritis, which prevented him from painting, but he still managed a few sketches.

Mrs Jones said he had been unwell for some time and wanted a private cremation.