Online auction indicates strength of Australian art market

A timed online Melbourne art auction of contemporary, Aboriginal and modern paintings by Deutscher and Hackett is yet another indication of the continuing strong buyer demand for art on the Australian market. 

Finishing from 7pm on Tuesday May 17, the auction features works by several of Australia’s leading artists including John Kelly, Tim Storrier, Ray Crooke, Sidney Nolan, Michael Zavros, Patricia Piccinini, Leonard French, Robert Dickerson and Gloria Petyarre. 

Although the paintings on offer are not necessarily the most expensive produced by these artists, they still offer strong investment potential while providing incentives for first time buyers looking to enter the market. 

Patines of Etcetera, 2003 by John Kelly (lot 7) is typical of the investment prospects with a catalogue estimate of $38,000-$45,000.

Likewise, Michael Zavros’s Walk, 2001 (lot 6) is listed at a $20,000-$30,000 estimate and Ray Crooke’s Island Women with Fruit Baskets, c1970s (lot 33) at $25,000-$35,000.

Other good investments include Gloria Petyarre’s Bush Medicine Leaves, 2000 (lot 38) and Robert Dickerson’s Pagliaci (lot 34).

More affordable are paintings like Reko Rennie’s Untitled (Blue) (lot 1) and Juan Ford’s Sunflower, 2011 (lot 2) and Custom Paint Job (lot 3) from the same year. 

For those buyers keen on Patricia Piccinini, Tropical, 2001 (lot 22) could be to their liking, while there also are other paintings bound to attract plenty of attention such as Paul Davies Seidler House and Pool, 2010 (lot 21) and Janet Laurence’s Pacific Xanthosis, 1989 (lot 15). 

Appalling Moment (Wig with Moe), 1998 (lot 4) is an intriguing work by Brent Harris and there are several affordable Aboriginal paintings such as Mick Kubarkku’s Dibdid Spirit (lot 41), Dorothy Djukulul’s Fruit Bats, Flying Foxes (lot 42) and Spider Kalbybidi’s Minymurrka, 2007 (lot 45).