deutscher and hackett to hold Inaugural Aboriginal Art auction on 25 March in Melbourne

265 lots
Estimate range: $2,000,000 – 2,900,000

deutscher and hackett is delighted to announce that its inaugural Aboriginal Art auction will be held in Melbourne on 25 March 2009 from 7pm at its South Yarra premises.

Crispin Gutteridge, Head of Aboriginal Art notes, “deutscher and hackett is excited to be entering a field of Australian art which has become the focus of worldwide interest. We have consigned for this auction a broad range of important works by leading indigenous artists. Works on offer are fresh to the market with emphasis on provenance and attractive pricing”.

Paintings, sculptures and artefacts of exceptional quality and diversity have been sourced from local and international collections. Among the highlights are a number of important paintings by Emily Kame Kngwarreye and of special note is her Untitled (Alhalkere) 1995 ($150,000–200,000). The painting was included in both the 1998 nationally touring retrospective, Emily Kame Kngwarreye: Alhalkere, Paintings from Utopia, and the recent Utopia: The genius of Emily Kame Kngwarreye, which toured Japan and Australia in 2008. This painting was also selected as the cover illustration
for the accompanying exhibition catalogue from the 1998 retrospective.

Three important early boards from the first two years of the Papunya painting movement are also on offer. Mick Namarari Tjapaljarri’s Tingari Cycle Dreaming Journey 1972 ($40,000–60,000) is a sublime painting as are two other works from 1972, Timmy Payungka Tjapangarti’s My Country (Homeland), Bush Tucker Story ($25,000–30,000) and Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarrra’s Water Story (version 7),($20,000–25,000).

A highlight of the auction are several large-scale canvases by the most well known and respected painters of the last twenty years from remote communities like Kintore, Utopia and Balgo Hills. George Tjungarrayi’s Mamultjulkunya, 2001 ($70,000-100,000) is representative of the epic travels of the artist’s Tingari Ancestors, as performed in their narrative song cycles. Wallaby Dreaming 1977 ($100,000–120,000) by Tim Leura Tjapaljarri and Tingari cycle 1988 by Ronnie Tjampitjinpa($40,000–60,000), are exemplary examples showing the evolution of the Papunya painting movement. Major paintings by Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri and Ray James Tjangala are also included.

Renowned women artists of this region, so sought after by the market in recent years, are also included. Key works include Ningura Napurrula’s Women at Wirrulnga, 2005 ($70,000-80,000), Makinti Napanangka’s Kungka Kutjarra, 2001 ($18,000-25,000), Judy Napangardi Watson’s Kurrkara Jukurrpa at Mina Mina ($20,000-25,000) and Parwalla 2006 ($40,000–60,000) by the highly sought afterElizabeth Nyumi Nungurrayi. 

John Mawurndjul’s Mardayin Design, 2003 ($18,000–22,000) is a fine example of the artist’s investigation of rarrk, cross hatching infill in bark paintings that has characterised his later works. Also included are an excellent painted Lorrkon ($22,000–28,000) and an earlier work on bark depicting a Lightning Spirit ($5,000–7,000).