There were thrills and spills aplenty during the auctioning of the first twenty lots of Deutscher + Hackett’s 2nd Aboriginal and Oceanic sale. Some solid prices were paid for works of significance, one work was an absolute steal and there were a fair number of disappointments in an auction totaling $1.1 million.
In terms of numbers, the first twenty lots saw eight lots passed in, a further six were sold 10% or more below low estimate and six lots reached or exceeded their top estimate. The “First 20” are usually judged to be the key to an auction’s tone, behavioural pattern and ultimate success. In many ways, this proved to be the case– it certainly didn’t follow the pattern of a straight boom or bust sale, the mixed results pointed to a more complex and nuanced secondary market.
Bidding was rather subdued at the start of the sale, but it kicked into gear by lot 7 when bidding on Johnny Warrangkula’s Water Dreaming at Kalipinya (Lot 7 ) provided a flashback to better times. The vendor was rewarded for risking a conservative estimate when a tussle ensued between the room and three telephones which took the painting to $76,250. The depth of bidding witnessed on this lot was a pattern that was to be regularly repeated, signaling a return of some much needed confidence, albeit only to certain segments of the sale.
Brook Andrew’s best known work, Sexy and Dangerous 1996, (small version), (Lot 17 ) achieved an outstanding and unexpected result of $48,800. It eclipsed the previous record of $36,000 set at Deutscher-Menzies in June 2006. Could this be another positive sign of the art market turning the corner?
Canny Hank Ebes seized the bargain of the night, snapping up Mick Namararis’s iconic and sublime Untitled (Dingo Ceremony), (Lot 8 ), for $24,400.
Expectations were high for the next lot, Charlie Numbulmoore’s A Pair of Wanjinas (Lot 9 ) which was offered for the first time in 38 years. Despite the freshness of the work, it only managed to attract a bid from Malcolm Davidson and was sold to him a shade under low estimate at $46,360. Perhaps the delicate nature of earth pigments on cardboard dampened broader appeal.
Another disappointment was the passing in at $26,000 of Tracey Moffat’s Something More No 1 (Lot 19 ). Arguably her best known work and a former auction room star, collectors have recently either shied away from the image or have not been prepared to pay a premium.
The secondary market tends to pass judgement on the uneditioned photographs belonging to this series where the provenance is traced straight back to the artist. The clearly editioned Series Set sold through her representative galleries (edition of 30) are the market's preference. This factor, combined with the non-illustration of the artwork due to the artist’s witholding of copyright, leads one to wonder whether Moffatt’s actions have inadvertently subverted her own market, particularly as the iconic work, S+D by her younger contemporary peer Brook Andrew, has continued to be keenly collected. Maybe, it is simply a case of collector fatigue.
The Achilles heel to the success of this auction has been Paddy Bedford’s Mendoowoorrji – Medicine Pocket (Lot 10 ) estimated at $120,000 – 150,000 and Rover Thomas’ Yillimbiddi Country (Lot 26 ) estimated at $350,000 – 450,000 with the two paintings representing 23% of the sale total.
While Paddy Bedford’s estate are currently asking $250,000 for the last remaining paintings by the deceased artist and an overseas exhibition is quoting 200,000 euro a piece, it is unknown whether any sales have transpired. It would appear that collectors are applying a wait and see approach as lot 10 failed to attract a single bid and there was no action on Rover Thomas’ lot either.
Buyers’ willingness to acquire smaller scaled and lesser priced works by well known artists over the bigger ticket items was amply demonstrated by artists such as Kathleen Petyarre: lot 98 and lot 149 both sold for $19,520, but the monumental Mountain Devil Lizard, (Lot 150 ) measuring 183 x 244 with an estimate of $50,000-70,000 couldn’t muster any bids.
Fiona Omeenyo’s grand scaled Big Family was passed over at $13,000 for the more compact We are One, (Lot 136 ) which brought $2928. The resistance to masterful, large and therefore, heftier priced paintings continued with lots 76 and 141 by George Tjungurrayi as well as the collaborative Ampilawatja painting, (Lot 99 ), which were unable to attract any bids, a disappointing outcome .
By the time the Oceanic lots were presented only a small, dedicated and often competitive band of collectors remained. The pattern of bidding was akin to a light switched being turned on, off and on again! There was strong interest in many of the masks and the highlight was $6710 paid for a Pair of Coastal masks, (Lot 193 ) against a modest presale estimate of $1,000-1,500. A woven Prawn Trap, (Lot 186 ) experienced fierce bidding to achieve $3,416, thereby tripling its upper estimate.
In assessing this sale and its potential impact on the market, it is necessary to move beyond sale figures, statistics and star lots. The devastating and brutal effect on sales statistics when two top heavy works are unsold, distorts and obscures many aspects and trends of the auction. With only two paintings in the sale above $100,000 an accurate status assessment of the top end cannot be fairly made.
Conclusions can more readily be drawn on the low and middle markets which comprised 99% of the sale; overall pieces in these segments showed encouraging green shoots of recovery, particularly works under $10,000. The lower end of the middle market was strong when works were quoted under $40,000, however there was utter weakness above this level.
The upshot of D+H’s sale was that the depth of bidding, the positive and relaxed sentiment in the room, the volume of works sold point to a shift away from the market bottom and a climb towards a healthy and active market, albeit in a slightly incoherent and eclectic manner. As more collectors begin to return to art, market trends and hot spots will become more clearly defined. Last night’s auction revealed a market re-setting itself.
