Deutscher + Hackett have accomplished for photography what auctioneers have tried to do for years by working together with Pat Corrigan, one of Australia’s savviest art collectors and philanthropists.
Sales like this can fly under the radar, as it did for one collector we spoke with. Whilst Australian photography is fully accepted in the primary market, prices in the secondary market have languished against those of artists who work in oil or bronze for example.
There are a considerable number of Australian commercial galleries who represent important photographic artists. However, the secondary market has struggled to embrace the medium in a consistent fashion until this week.
This sale saw nine auction records set, with seven for women artists, starting with Petrina Hicks’ Shanae and Jade, 2005 (Lot 1 ). The photograph - depicting a budgie in the mouth of a young girl - more than doubled its high estimate, selling for $38,000 on hopes of $10,000-15,000; a quite confronting image in comparison to Ben Quilty’s Beast II sold at Menzies in March for $220,000.
This image received significant publicity in 2012 when an artist copied two of Petrina Hicks’ photographs in oil and advertised them on Saatchi Online in a major breach of copyright. https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/copycat-artist-ruffles-feathers-with-blatant-ripoff-20120707-21nrv.html
Lots 2 to 5 continued the record streak for female photographic artists: Julie Rrap’s Conception, 1984 (Lot 2 ), sold for $16,000; her previous highest price at auction was $1,600 for Escape artist: Castaway 3, 2009.
Anne Zahalka’s previous highest sale dates from 2015, when Cole Classic, 1998, sold for $10,500. The Charles Wheeler inspired The Bathers, 1989 (Lot 3 ) sold for more than twice that at $22,000.
Anne Ferran has had hardly any presence in the secondary market, with an auction high of $2,000 set in 2001 for a group of 7 photographs. On modest estimates of $4,000-6,000, the hammer price of $28,000 for her Scenes on the Death of Nature I and II, 1986 (Lot 5 ) represents another great result.
Rosemary Laing’s Groundspeed (Red Piazza) # 2, 2001 (lot 15), also set a new high for the artist when it sold for $32,000, on estimates at $8,000-12,000.
Other auction records were set for Pat Brassington (Lot 4 ), Trent Parke (Lot 18 ), Robyn Stacey (Lot 26 ) and Darren Sylvester (Lot 41 ).
The four works by photography master Bill Henson (lot 20, lot 21, lot 22, lot 23) all estimated at $20,000-30,000 were well sought, with Untitled #117, 2001-02 (Lot 21 ), selling for the highest price of the auction for $45,000, and the second highest price for the artist.
Hopefully the success of the D+H sale encourages more Australian contemporary photography collections to be offered. The result demonstrates that a carefully assembled and compelling collection of images will win over collectors in the secondary market.
All prices shown are hammer prices unless otherwise noted.
