Indigenous works snapped up in ambitious sell-off
Renewed debate about what constitutes good and bad provenance in indigenous art does not appear to have put off serious collectors, with Lawson-Menzies selling $3.5 million of indigenous and tribal art at two auctions over the past 10 days.
But Lawson-Menzies’ head of indigenous art, Adrian Newstead, says the debate has rattled some of those buying for investment, with a noticeable drop-off in the numbers buying for superannuation schemes.
Recent newspaper reports have criticised those who sell outside the community art centre network for exploiting artists.
Newstead is among those who argue that such reports incorrectly tarnish everyone who operates outside art centres with the “carpet bagger” brush, and that good art can be sourced both within and outside centres.
The debate did not deter international collectors, who bid over the phone for numerous works, pushing total sales to $3.5 million. About $3 million of this came from the fine art sale held in Sydney on Tuesday May 30, the balance from the auction of tribal works and cheaper art held last Sunday.
About two in three of the 302 lots were sold on Tuesday night, but with post-auction sales eventually 75 per cent by value and 70 per cent by volume went, with 85 per cent of tribal and oceanic works selling on Sunday.
Newstead says the results put the house on track to meet its ambitious target of selling $7.2 million over the full year through four auctions – two at the top end and two cheaper – double last year’s figure.
A record was set for the sale at auction of a painting by the late Papunya artist Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula. His Spear Straightening, 1997 sold for $180,000 to a Swiss phone bidder (including buyer’s premium), at the higher end of the $150,000 to $200,000 estimate and compared with the previous highest price of $82,750 paid at Sotheby’s last year.
A record was also set for work by Wimmitji Tjapangati, whose Dingo and Rainbow Snake Dreaming, 1990 sold for $78,000 against estimates of $70,000 to $90,000, and compared with his previous sale record of $32,200, set at Sotheby’s in 1998.
Mouse Dreaming, 1996, by the late Mick Namarari Tjapaltjari, sold for $180,000, exceeding its upper estimate by $20,000.
Share