Aboriginal Art Authenticity

"They came on a quiet Sunday, in a shabby blue Corolla hatchback, when the art centre was closed."

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen this happen, but my respect for the artist drew my attention. I watched as the Corolla crept through our small community, pausing here and there like it was searching for something. Or someone.

Eventually, it found its mark. After some time, Ronnie, a respected elder and famous artist, climbed into the vehicle. Together, they cruised around the community, their purpose clear: negotiations. Later, the car dropped Ronnie back off, as unassuming as it had arrived.

That evening, Ronnie left again. This time, he didn’t return until late. Now, you can find videos of him painting by the roadside on YouTube. Exploited, plain as day. His work, sold for anywhere between $30,000 and $80,000, is paraded without integrity.

Buying those pieces? That’s not just a poor investment; it’s a betrayal of his legacy. Ronnie is a master of the Western Desert Movement, his talent undeniable. But the only true provenance for his work is through Papunya Tula Artists—the community-driven art centre where his story belongs.

— Guy Hayes

Buy Aboriginal Art the Right Way

You’ll never regret living with beautiful art and supporting Australia’s First Nations peoples through art is amazing. Unfortunately, not everyone sells Aboriginal art for the right reasons.

The hard truth is that unethical businesses willing to exploit Aboriginal artists are equally happy to tell you whatever you need to hear to make their sales. Promoting their paintings as ethically sourced when they are not is one of many tactics used to deceive you. Remember, every unethical dealer has a page on "ethics," and anyone with an inkjet printer can make a Certificate of Authenticity.

So what should you do when buying Aboriginal art from a gallery or dealer? The answer is to ask questions. A minute or two of your time can make all the difference. At the end of the day, no one wants to tell their friends about their beautiful painting that exploited the artist and was overpriced.

Unethical dealers will meet your questions with long-winded explanations of their business model without actually providing any transparency, often claiming artist privacy as the reason. Unscrupulous dealers warn of unscrupulous dealers. It's nuts really and continues unabated.

How can you definitively prove the ethical authenticity of a work (and its value)?

Well, like most art markets, provenance is key. Provenance is likely something you’ve heard thrown around on Antiques Roadshow, but what does it actually mean? And how does it apply when buying Aboriginal art? The provenance of an Aboriginal painting is relatively simple. The artwork's provenance defines (with paperwork as proof) the origins of the painting and who facilitated it's creation.

The gold standard in the Aboriginal art market (with minor exceptions) is that artworks are produced and sold in conjunction with the artists' community-run Aboriginal art centre.

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What is a certificate of authenticity when buying Aboriginal Art?

Certificates of Authenticity for Aboriginal paintings are a dime a dozen in the Aboriginal Art market and ones supporting unethical paintings are not worth the paper they are printed on. If you're presented videos and photos (especially with the artist holding the work up) it's likely a dud. Authenticity needs to prove fair payment to the artist in a market know for unethical practices.

 

 

Below are a number of Aboriginal Art centre's certificates of authenticity(COA) that we provide with our artworks. As you can see there is no strict format to them but the main thing to look for is the name of the organisation along with a catalogue number that matches the one noted on the artwork. You can search all Aboriginal organisations (including all ethical Aboriginal Art centres) at oric.gov.au - you can also discern this information from a google search but it is less clear in some cases. Certificates certified by the gallery or dealer is a clear red flag regarding ethics. 

 

An Independent Perspective

The late Timothy Klingender, the foremost authority on Aboriginal Art in the secondary market, kindly shared his thoughts on ethics with us.

Tim forged the secondary market for Aboriginal Art in the early years and continued to hold groundbreaking auctions with Sotheby’s in London and New York. Tim sadly passed away in 2023.

ART ARK: Thanks for your time, Tim. Could you please mention how ethical trading defined your work at Sotheby’s Auction House in those early years?

Tim: The policy I started at Sotheby’s, where an artist is represented by an art centre (e.g., Papunya Tula Artists), was to only include paintings with art centre provenance and not accept works commissioned independently outside the centre.

ART ARK: That makes sense, Tim. How is this policy seen elsewhere?

Tim: The policy aligns with state and national galleries and has been adopted by Deutscher and Hackett, Bonhams, and Sotheby’s internationally. However, it is not implemented by other auctioneers such as Leonard Joel, Cooee Art Market Place, or Shapiro.

ART ARK: How does this affect someone wanting to buy an artwork for the first time?

Tim: Unfortunately, private operators and gallerists often fail to mention that there is a limited secondary market (re-sale) for the paintings they are selling.

ART ARK: Are there any exceptions to art centre provenance in the secondary market?

Tim: These policies are not absolute. For example, in the case of Rover Thomas, the independent dealer Mary Macha is the preferred provenance, as the art centres of Waringarri and Warmun started after he began painting for Mary. Similarly, when an artist leaves an art centre, as Clifford Possum did with Papunya Tula Artists, we occasionally sell their post-PTA work.

ART ARK: Why should we care?

Tim: The policy helps prevent artist exploitation, ensures artworks are professionally recorded, supports art centres that manage artists' careers and nurture their practices, and contributes to the well-being of remote communities.

ART ARK: Thank you, Tim, for sharing your insights and time.

At ART ARK®, we sell paintings on consignment, with prices set by the art centres to ensure fairness and transparency.

As a final note, it’s worth mentioning that some galleries purchase artworks from art centres at wholesale prices (which is a great way to support them!) but may significantly increase the retail prices. While the artist and the art centre receive their agreed share, this means you might end up paying a premium.

By purchasing through ART ARK®, you can trust that your investment directly supports the artists and their communities without unnecessary markups.

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