Australian Indigenous cultures are rich and diverse, as is the artwork they produce which can involve a wide range of media including painting on leaves, wood carving, rock carving, sculpture, ceremonial clothing and sand painting. Missionary colonists first promoted the creation and sales of authentic aboriginal art
as a way for Aboriginals to earn monetary support.
Authentic Aboriginal Art
Internationally recognized as a unique form of art, it is welcomed overseas and respected and admired by art critics everywhere. Of late, it has also come to the attention of not only art investors but also to the wider audience, as astute buyers realize its potential in the marketplace. Hailed as arguably the last great art movement, works produced emanate from a 40,000 year Culture and Tradition. Whilst steeped in what was originally viewed as ethnographic historics, the authentic aboriginal art produced are very often amazingly modern in design and colour and therefore aesthetically pleasing.
Authentic Aboriginal Art
Exploitation
There have been cases of some exploitative dealers (known as carpetbaggers) that have sought to profit from the success of the Aboriginal art movements. Since Geoffrey Bardon's time and in the early years of the Papunya movement, there has been concerns about the exploitation of the largely illiterate and non-English speaking artists.
"People are clearly taking advantage...Especially the elderly people. I mean, these are people that, they're not educated; they haven't had a lot of contact with white people. They've got no real basic understanding, you know, of the law and even business law. Obviously they've got no real business sense. A dollar doesn't really have much of a meaning to them, and I think to treat anybody like that is just… it's just not on in this country."Call for ACCC to investigate Aboriginal Art industry
Australian Senate Inquiry
In August 2006, following concerns raised about unethical practices in the Indigenous art sector, the Australian Senate initiated an inquiry into issues in the sector.
"The material they call Aboriginal art is almost exclusively the work of fakers, forgers and fraudsters. Their work hides behind false descriptions and dubious designs. The overwhelming majority of the ones you see in shops throughout the country, not to mention Darling, are fakes, pure and simple. There is some anecdotal evidence here in Darwin at least, they have been painted by backpackers working on industrial scale wood production."Sydney Morning Herald (2007) Backpackers fake Aboriginal art, Senate told
The inquiry's final report, handed down on 21 June 2007, made 29 recommendations, including:
Greater public funding for infrastructure in the sector.
More intensive policing efforts to try and eliminate unethical business practices.
Adoption of a code of practice across the sector.
Government agencies and collecting institutions to implement a code when dealing with Indigenous visual art.
The report also raised the prospect of law reforms if necessary to change the way the industry was regulated.
Authentic Aboriginal Art
Artlandish Aboriginal Art Gallery is showcasing to the World, one of the largest and most comprehensive on line Galleries of Authentic Australian Aboriginal Art and Artefact's.
Enjoy the wonderful talent of the artists presented, which reflects their country and a culture which is timeless.
Authentic paintings such as Rusty Peters and Tommy Carroll are available from Artlandish see their collection
