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Adrian Newstead The last-second discovery of an extremely rare 1972 Clifford Possum board in New York, and the sale of the entire Paddy Bedford Estate, have set the scene for a fascinating end to the 2011 Aboriginal art calendar. With Mossgreen absenting itself from Aboriginal art sales until 2012, and Deutscher and Hackett opting for …

On results alone you would be forgiven for thinking that D’Lan Davidson’s second Aboriginal art sale was a failure. The Directors of Sotheby’s Australia have, however, a great deal to be happy about.

In November 2010 Bonham’s announced that two former staff from the Aboriginal Art department at Sotheby’s Australia, Francesca Cavazzini and Greer Adams, had been employed as specialists in charge of their new Aboriginal Art Department. Chairman Robert Brooks also announced that Tim Klingender (former Director of Aboriginal Art at Sotheby’s Australia) would take on the role as Senior Consultant in order to advise on all aspects of its operation.

The catalogue is everything one would expect of a top rate Sotheby’s sale. High quality artifacts and carvings, old bark paintings, early western desert boards, Papunya Tula acrylic paintings, and Hermannsburg watercolours abound. These in fact constitute 129 lots, or 73% of this 176-lot offering. Ninety-one items (52%) were created prior to 1980 while only twenty-four (14%) were created post 2000.

Review: Sotheby’s Aboriginal Auction Author: Adrian Newstead It was a disappointing night for the Sotheby’s franchise and its new Aboriginal art specialist D’lan Davidson. Just 51 people attended its 30th November auction at which only 62 of 219 lots (or 28%) found a buyer on the night. By the time he published his official results …

Review: Sotheby’s Aboriginal Auction 2010 Author: Adrian Newstead Sotheby’s new Aboriginal art specialist D’Lan Davidson has put together a solid ‘tribal’ offering for his first end of year sale. There are, however, no unusual surprises to arouse buyers in an auction that relies heavily on two major artifact and bark painting collections, broadened in scope …

Review: Sotheby’s Aboriginal Art Auction Author: Adrian Newstead What a shocker. No less than 53 lots passed in the first 100 on offer. A room full of people but bereft of vitality.  Drained of animation, as lot after lot failed to inspire bidding. In retrospect, opening the sale with Oceanic artifacts was the first, and …

If what is understood to be his auction swansong, outgoing Sotheby’s specialist Tim Klingender has managed under difficult circumstances, to put together a large mixed offering with a considerable number of high quality pieces. Though there is little that could be described as spectacular, there are many very fine pieces of both Oceanic and Aboriginal …

Review: Sotheby’s Auction 2010 Author: Adrian Newstead A critical look at current Aboriginal art production is sobering. The primary market appears healthy on the surface but is largely dependent on an overabundance of ubiquitous generic works supplied by independent dealers working out of Alice Springs. While many good exhibiting galleries vie for the finest works …

Review: Sotheby’s Auction 2010 Author: Adrian Newstead Sotheby’s had many reasons to feel pleased, despite the sale total at hammer price falling around 30% short of the low estimate total, for its November Aboriginal and Oceanic Art Sale. In the absence of pizzazz, their finest ethnographic pieces performed strongly and were enhanced by the sale …