Fine Art & Aboriginal Art Blog - Daniel Goldshaft Aboriginal and Fine Art Valuations

Aboriginal art insurance

THE ARTS AND ISOLATION

4/2/2020

THE ARTS AND ISOLATION

It's a difficult time for everyone in the arts industry. Dealers and auction houses are closed and artists are literally isolated in the most remote parts of the desert in Australia. As with us all, I really hope that the arts industry can remain strong and supportive and in doing so, help revive and bring us back to the powerhouse we were becoming. I am speaking of the Aboriginal Art movement of course. Yes, I wish the whole industry well, but my focus is the Indigenous artists. Their lifeline and support - high street galleries, cannot bring their works to a market fast enough to a market with zero footfall. Some artists may never produce artworks again and this is a detriment to the world as a whole. As we know, the way in which Australian Indigenous culture passes on its heritage and dreamings is through the many different mediums the artists choose to use. Being dot paintings, Raark, weavings and carvings just to name a few. I would only say that now more than ever, is a time to keep supporting the industry by purchasing the work that you love. Connect with the best galleries that have the best quality works and the provenance required. Galleries like Kate Owen Gallery in Rozelle Sydney, Cooee Gallery in Paddington and Japingka Gallery in Perth.Connect with me to have your artworks valued. If the industry does lose some of its ability to bring artists works to market over the long term, the value of artworks will be a topic that will be discussed in great details amongst the industry and I can see some very big increases in demand with quite possibly not such a capable supply. We buy art for the love,the feelings it envokes and how it generously warm our walls. We also invest our hard earned money into our purchases. Let me help you as I offer my professional valuation services with direct knowledge and clarity of a sometimes confusing topic.

I am passionate about good art. Simple. After many years travelling the world and seeing some incredible artworks, I cannot overcome my love of Australian Aboriginal art. It moves me and gives me the connection to our county that I think is intended by the artists. A small glimpse into the Indigenous ideology and mystery surrounding this great land of ours called Australia

Selling at auction vs private sale
I don’t think that there’s a whole lot of difference between artworks and property when it comes to selling platforms, in particularly live auctions versus gallery sales.
Auction has its benefits and so does private selling.
Let’s talk about the seller for a moment-

Urgency is the key - a buyer will get caught up in the moment and sometimes overspend. If your auctioneer is great, this is their job quite frankly!
Private sale is good too. But it may take a while to attract the more cautious buyer who wants to visit 10 times before making a commitment. I guess it comes down to different personalities of buyers and of the sellers. Are you an auction personality or are you more stayed and steady and prefer a private sale?

The main issue with auctions is that you really do need 2 people to be at the auction who both want the property/artwork and actually see the value in the lot being sold,
There is a sense of urgency and no matter how long the buyer has prior to do their due diligence, the auction environment can bring out the beast in us all!
The buyer’s premium is usually about %20 as an average and then there is your delivery in the case of art. These are 2 costs that need to be taken into consideration as %20 isn’t to be sneezed at.
The softer approach is usually where the buyer can relax into the sale and therefore have a better opportunity to potentially get the price they want to pay or at least have the conversation in more than 7 minutes! For the seller, it means they also have an opportunity to wait for the best price and not be pressured into a sale.
In the auction environment, the seller can also feel pressured into selling for less than the items worth as they are caught up in the rush of the sale, reserve or not.
Think about what your bottom line is when it comes to selling as either way has its positives and negatives. Think about your top dollar when it comes to buying as well, how much you are willing to spend.
If you would like a pre-auction/buying report, as you are thinking of buying, please contact me and we can discuss what the value of the artwork is, what you would be willing to spend and what I would recommend you focus on,
Remember, a little bit of knowledge is great but a well-rounded and informed opinion is critical to your buying or selling success.
Cheers

The Steve Martin Collection of Australian Aboriginal Art proved to be a resounding success when showcased at Gagosian's gallery in New York then In Hollywood and now currently in Asia. The tingari artworks painted by one of the Pintupi nine Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri are astounding. The other big hitters are Bill Whiskey, Yukulti Napangati and Emily Kame Kngwarreye. These major artworks have been collected from different sources, though the western desert artworks provenance stems directly from Papunya Tula PTY LTD. I would like to mention to new collectors that art centres are only one way of acquiring artworks .From my many years of experience the private sector has
some of the best of the Papunya Tula artists works. By this I mean, the artworks were painted in private studios by the artists and not in gated communities where the artists were first shown paint and canvas. For Emily Kame, there was no art centre and her Earths Creation was painted for Dacou gallery. What I am trying to say is, don't let bias about how to source artworks play with your emotions. Artists are entrepreneurs and independent people who can paint when and where they like. The private studios have a major role in supporting the Aboriginal art world and as long as the studio abides by the strict ethical code of the pan body of Aboriginal visual arts, The Aboriginal Art Association of Australia, then your have nothing to worry about when it comes to artists being treated fairly and being paid accordingly. Happy collecting.