Davin Grikis, a recruitment specialist from Brisbane's southside, recently discovered that a painting his wife inherited from her father might be an authentic work by renowned Australian artist Lloyd Rees. With the help of artificial intelligence technology, Grikis was able to confirm his suspicions about the potentially century-old artwork.
Grikis, who describes himself as neither an art collector nor an expert, found himself with extra time on his hands when he was between jobs in July. Rather than letting the family heirloom collect dust, he decided to channel his curiosity into investigating the painting's origins and authenticity. "I deep-dove into it, probably more for my own curiosity than anything else," Grikis explained about his amateur detective work.
What started as casual research quickly became an consuming passion project for the Brisbane resident. "I got a bit obsessed, to tell you the truth," he admitted, describing how the investigation took over much of his free time. The painting, which his wife Holly had inherited from her father, had always been a part of the family but its true value and provenance had never been properly established.
Using modern AI technology, Grikis was able to analyze various aspects of the artwork, including brushwork patterns, color palette, and artistic techniques that could help authenticate whether the piece was indeed created by Lloyd Rees. The artificial intelligence tools provided him with the technical analysis capabilities that would typically require expensive professional art authentication services.
The discovery highlights how advancing AI technology is making art authentication more accessible to everyday people, allowing families to potentially uncover valuable artworks that may have been passed down through generations without proper identification. For the Grikis family, what was once simply a inherited painting may now represent a significant piece of Australian art history dating back approximately 100 years.
