The current climate of the market for Aboriginal art definitely favours the buyer “ but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when one considers that all those bargain buys will re-enter the market at some stage in the future when market sentiment has improved.
A case in point was the sale of The Collection of John Wregg and Judith Alexander held by Mossgreen in Sydney on the 28th of October which included a variety of Aboriginal artworks by artists such as Minnie Pwerle, Emily Kngwarreye, Kathleen Petyarre and Sally Gabori many of which were offered with attractive estimates to woo buyers.
A top quality painting by Tiger Palpatja that sold for $7,320.00 against an estimate of $6,000 – 8,000 was the highlight of the Indigenous works sold on the night only just beating the $6,100.00 achieved for Kathleen Petyarre’s painting Mountain Devil Lizard.
Jonathon Kumunjara Brown’s wonderful painting Oak Valley, Field of thunder, 1995 was another highlight fetching $4,270.00 against an estimate of $3,000-5,000.
Sally Gabori continues to sell well as evinced by an untitled painting by the artist which made $4,880.00 against an estimate of $4,000 – 6,000. It was good to see a work by Minnie Pwerle find a buyer even though it was for $100 under the $4000 low estimate.
Also fairing well was a Lorrkon-Hollow Log Coffin by Emmanuel Wurrkidj which sold for $2,440.00 and a carving by Gary Smith titled Devil spirit that fetched $2,928.00.
