How to buy Aboriginal Art

Robert Hughes, art critic for Time magazine described the contemporary Aboriginal Art Movement as “The last great art movement of the 20th century” and as we all know Robert Hughes is no lightweight in the art world.

Aborigines throughout Australia have been painting in caves, engraving and carving on rock platforms, decorating musical instruments, weaving and drawing in the sand for 40,000 years. As a result they have a rich, unbroken lineage from which to draw upon.

To fully understand the immense world of Australian Aboriginal art, one cannot discuss this topic without referring to the late Geoffrey Bardon, a schoolteacher from Sydney, who in 1971 requested a posting to Papunya, a remote Aboriginal settlement in the central desert of Australia. Geoffrey noticed Aboriginal elders drawing in the sand and then erasing these images.

These elders were from different groups who had been brought together under a government regime. Normally speaking, these groups would never have met. There was a certain malaise at Papunya, and Geoffrey Bardon, a young and idealistic schoolteacher, went into town and purchased several pieces of masonite together with acrylic paints.
With these raw materials they began to create permanent images using modern materials. A group of elders thus formed the genesis of the Western Desert painting movement.

It must be remembered that these images often depicted sacred stories that were never to be seen by ‘white folk’ and Aboriginal women. Many stories related to male circumcision.

At an exhibition in the early 1970s held in Alice Springs, the exhibition was ‘stoned’ by Aboriginal elders who were incensed that these sacred images had been put down permanently in the form of paintings that were on display for ‘all to see’. This incident led to the concealing of the true stories by way of applying dots to the paintings.

In this watershed of creative talent, where these original artists could paint and had not been exposed to western artistic ideas, they created a style that the world had never seen. This movement that started at Papunya, became the Papunya Tula Art Centre and has carried on to the present day. Many art centres have opened across Australia in remote communities.

One of the great paradoxes of certain Indigenous art is that the imagery depicted in their paintings is topographic, that is an aerial view, although most artists have never travelled in aircraft. Generally speaking, an Aboriginal artist’s painting depicts their ‘Dreaming’, the Dreaming being their story.

As a result of this you tend to find that established artists tend to paint the same imagery, although over time it can evolve.
Take the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye whose art is inextricably linked with her country, Alhalkere, which means ‘that’s all, whole lot’. Emily’s abstract images transcended her culture to speak to us all. This was her great gift. She showed us a new way to look at the world. Recently one of Emily’s paintings sold for more than $AUD1,000,000 at auction.

Australia, for the purpose of acquiring Aboriginal art and oceanic art from Papua New Guinea, is the best place in the world to start one’s collection. Sydney is rich with wonderful galleries to explore and see a cross-section of the best Aboriginal art and Oceanic artworks.

It must be remembered that, generally speaking, most Indigenous and Oceanographic artworks, be they works on paper or canvas, carvings, weaving, pottery or glass, are not signed. This is where one has to rely on the knowledge and integrity of the gallery. If you are new to collecting, a very good idea is to visit the Art Gallery of NSW and see the permanent collection of Aboriginal art, both traditional barks from Arnhem Land and the more contemporary works.

While visiting reputable galleries to discuss future purchases, take the opportunity to glean some knowledge about the different artists and their communities. The stories connected with each Aboriginal artist are unique, when you consider that some of these artworks are created in the desert in raw and harsh environments. As a general rule, I try to tell my clients to buy a painting that they are happy to have hanging on their wall for possibly a long time. Also, try to buy the larger size paintings by an Aboriginal artist, as generally they will appreciate at a far greater rate than smaller works.

A very good way to put your toe into the vast pond of Aboriginal art is to consider purchasing works on paper, that is, limited edition lithographs by well-known Aboriginal artists. A lot of people are purchasing paintings at auction but there is a downside to this. I have seen at auction paintings with a retail value of $10,000 sell for $30,000 simply because on the night of the auction two people virtually went to war over the piece with egos and the atmosphere taking over. They could have purchased as good a painting from a reputable gallery for a third of the price.

Once you catch the ‘contemporary Aboriginal and Oceanic art bug’, there is no cure! Happy collecting.