Aboriginal Art and the Australian Economy
It comes as no surprise that creativity is set to be a major casualty of the economic woes Australia is bracing for this year. All the fun stuff seems to go first. The indigenous art market enjoyed a boom period in the last decade which has been grinding to a dreaded halt in recent weeks with gallery owners and auction houses reporting an eerie quiet all round . At a Sotherby’s sale late last year Aboriginal artifacts and paintings in Sydney fetched an underwhelming AUD$3.7 million against a pre-sale estimate of AUD$7.6-11 million.
While this is not good news for the retailers, journalist Nicolas Rothwell from The Australian warns there is an even darker side to the story. “The successful promotion of Aboriginal art-making in the bush has been almost the sole point of light for the various program managers trying to dream up a sustainable remote community economy. Many extended families depend on art. ” The impact of Howard’s emergency intervention into Northern Territory communities in 2007 meant for some individual artists further pressure from extended community members who now depend on this external source of income.
Australian Indigenous Art Commercial Code of Conduct
In a bid to regulate the market for Aboriginal art the government has approved a draft code of conduct . Estimated to be worth as much as AUD$500 million per year, the Australian indigenous art industry has been dogged by claims of exploitation. In response to reports that artists have been paid in alcohol, drugs or dodgy accommodation for paintings, the Australia Council has developed the Australian Indigenous Art Commercial Code of Conduct which “aims to promote fair trade and practice in the industry which will contribute to the wellbeing of indigenous Australians more generally”. The code will outlaw buyers taking advantage of an artist who is sick, inebriated, or does not understand the terms of the sale. The Government hopes this will sure up the slowing sales by allowing fairer payment to reach artists in Aboriginal communities for their work. Many industry figures have publicly expressed grave doubts about the draft code and it has widely been seen as the first of many drafts to go.
A revolution of style is also at play in the industry. Younger indigenous artists have naturally been influenced by less traditional styles as effects of globalization mark the movement. But dealers aren’t so excited. Their international buyers, they fear, want the stock standard ochre dot paintings. There is concern that as older artists are retiring or dying, the newer creative style does not have the same market appeal as it is markedly less iconic.
Aboriginal Art Walks Into The Future
“But Aboriginal art has never been just art,” claims Rothwell, “it has come to symbolise a nation’s hope for easy engagement with its first citizens.” To some extent, art has been an olive branch to bridge cultural divides. Along with a hearty dose of carpet-bagging, the indigenous arts movement might very well be the closest Australia has come to finding an arena where respect, dignity and commercial success has had a chance. It would be a tragic failure if the experimental or “modernized” aspects of the movement threatened this. The fact is Aboriginals are not painting on bark in the bush anymore. The first Australians are just as exposed to external elements as any artists today. They have TV.
White Australia has long grappled with trying to understand the various nuances of Aboriginal culture, which is essentially extremely diverse and complex. But it would be a terrible mistake to try to pigeon hole or dismiss new styles as not being “Aboriginal” enough.
Wandjina In The Urban Jungle
A fascinating image emerged in the streets of Perth a few years ago. The haunting cultural depiction of the Wandjina, a mighty creator spirit conventionally appearing in rock art form at ancient sites throughout the Kimberley, began appearing in the urban jungle of Western Australia’s capital. This time in neon aerosol spray-paint. Despite the awareness this raised internationally for Aboriginal culture, tribal elders condemned the graffiti as culturally inappropriate and warned that the person or persons involved are tampering with a powerful spirit that could be harmful to them.
While the story is old now, the mystery prevails. Perth watched as the Wandjini wandered across the city through carparks, toilet cubicles and public playgrounds, both scandalizing and uniting impressed locals. But they were never able to identify the artist or artists, which is a shame. If they were Aboriginal, this would have been a flicker of hope for the future of modern Aboriginal art, but many suspect they weren’t and that explains why they would lay low. This adoption of a beautiful motif from Dreaming tradition would have been publically slammed had the artist been white.
Tradition says that the mouthless Wandjina watches without judgment. As the uncertain future of indigenous art in Australia unfolds, reservation of judgment and freedom to develop might be the break the industry needs, for now.
Related Links
http://www.mowanjumarts.com/
http://www.wandjinadonny.com/
http://rosemary.id.au/view/blog/wandjina/
Article by Estelle Pigott
Tags: aboriginal art , Aboriginal Art and the Australian Economy , art , australian art , australian culture , australian economy , Two Flat Whites