Current Trends in the Australian Aboriginal Art Scene

Article Written By: johnarthur

Australian Aboriginal art has a diverse range of expression, with art forms that include rock carving, woodcarving, sculpture, sand painting, ceremonial clothing and artistic decorations. Because of its unique style and form, indigenous art has gained strong international fame and recognition.

The growth of Australian Aboriginal Art market has lead to art consultancy firms, art galleries, and art investors to become increasingly interested in the genre. In fact, this art market has become so lucrative that it even outsold European art and contemporary Australian art in auction houses such Sotheby s and Christie s in recent years in certain auctions.

Art lovers and art consultancy firms alike have now ventured in the Australian Aboriginal art market in an effort to promote these excellent artists that have produced some remarkable art pieces. Ever since Geoffrey Bardon started the Papunya painting movement in 1971, this art trend has spread from the rural and remote areas of Alice Springs to the urban centres of Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth.

The growing popularity of Australian Aboriginal art has propelled leading indigenous artists to win prestigious awards and have solo exhibitions in major art galleries. Following the footsteps of their predecessors William Barak and Albert Namatjira, contemporary artists like Wynne Prize winners Joanne Currie Nalingu and George Tjungurrayi, Blake Prize awardee Shirley Purdie, Clemenger Contemporary Art Award winner John Mawurndjul, and Venice Biennale representatives Rover Thomas and Yvonne Koolmatrie have gained recognition for their work.

These cooperatives were formed to develop and preserve Australian Aboriginal art. Unlike contemporary Australian art that requires formal education, indigenous art is created in community groups. Art style and form vary in different cooperatives like the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, Ikuntji, Papunya Tula, and the Aboriginal Australia Art and Culture Centre.

Most indigenous artists have no formal training and their artwork is based upon traditional knowledge and skills passed by their elders. However, there are also numerous Aboriginal artists who are living in the cities, and have formal education in the contemporary Australian and European art forms and combine the elements of mainstream art with their own. These artists have shifted their interpretations of their cultures traditional art into whole new expressions of creativity.

Being a lucrative market, work by prominent indigenous artists has increased in value over the past three decades. In fact, the Australian Aboriginal art sector is now worth more than $500 million (AUD) as compared to about $100 million to $300 million only a decade ago. However, there have been growing issues of art fraud and exploitation that have negatively affected the indigenous art scene.

In an effort to protect the Australian Aboriginal art industry, laws were implemented to establish standards of practice and ensure fair dealing. In 2006, the Art Consulting Association of Australia was established to enhance the commercial aspects of art consulting in Australia with the maintenance and establishment of a set of ethical standards.

Increased competition in the Australian art consultancy sector has facilitated a marked improvement in service. Prominent art galleries and art investors alike have now hired professional art consultants to meet the growing demands and follow the current trends and developments of the indigenous art industry.

About the Author

The Butler Goode Gallery specialises in exhibiting exclusive European and World art and Australian Aboriginal art.

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