Australian Aboriginal culture goes as far as 60,000 years back. Aboriginal people had two ways of communication. These were oral communication through storytelling and songs and visual communication through art. The Aboriginal culture was kept a secret until the 1970s when Geoffrey Bardon influenced the tribal leaders to decide which stories they could share with the outsiders through paintings. This became a way to tell stories about their culture to the outsiders and make money for the communities.
Today, Aboriginal art is one of the best sources of investment you can think of. The biggest challenge though is buying original Aboriginal art. Below are some of the most important factors to consider when you are planning to buy Aboriginal art. You can also
click here to see the paintings to have an idea of what to expect when buying an Aboriginal artwork.
1. The Style of Artwork
When it comes to art, you need to buy art you love. That is why the style of art is the first thing you should consider before investing in aboriginal art. There are several different types of Aboriginal art. These are
● Bark paintings- the oldest form of Aboriginal art
● Ochre paintings- Represent Dreamtime stories and traditional motifs
● History paintings
● Fiber art
● Sculptures and wood carvings
● Paintings on boards, linen or canvas
● Watercolors
● Urban art- Very political, provocative and emotional
Use your intuition to choose a style that you can connect with. If you are in Australia, you can visit the art galleries or museums to see how you feel about the different styles of Aboriginal art.
2. A Trustworthy Seller
From whom are you buying the art from? Can you trust them? The second factor you should consider buying Aboriginal art is the individual or gallery you will buy from. According to an investigation done sometime back, about 80% of the art shops were selling counterfeit art. These shops were from China, India, and Indonesia. You do not want to waste your hard-earned cash on a fake piece of art so ensure that you identify a respectable art gallery before you make any purchase. If you are buying from an individual, make sure you investigate the individual to be sure that you can trust them.
3. Consider buying Ethically
After you have identified a trusted seller, you need to find out if they are ethical in their selling practices. Some sellers will sell paintings at a very high price but they will pay peanuts to their artists, You need to ensure that your seller is doing right by their
artist. Feel free to ask as many questions as you can to ascertain if the artist is getting what they deserve. If the person or gallery you are dealing with is not willing to tell you what you want to know, that is a warning sign.
4. The Authenticity of the Artwork
If you are planning to buy Aboriginal art, you need to make sure that it is authentic. Some of the information you need to authenticate the work is
● Certificate of Authenticity
● Official art center/gallery label
● Name of the artist
● Language group/nation of artist
● Title of the work
● Year and/or work was made
● Sticker to authenticate it
● Cultural information
● Name of the community where the artwork was made
● Artist’s statement
● The artwork’s story
You should also receive a certificate of provenance with the art centre logo, information about the work and its author, catalog number, and an invoice receipt. If you are buying a souvenir, you need to be even more careful because the chances of buying an imitation are very high.
5. The Story of the Artwork
Most of the Aboriginal art tells a story because the Aboriginal people used art to tell stories and communicate their knowledge. Look at the meaning of the artwork since most artists include their dream stories in the art. Can you relate to the story? Find out more information about the story from the seller to find out if the story resonates with you.
Please note that some works are beautiful but have no story. These can give you a chance to create a story of your own.
6. The Material of the Artwork
Another factor to consider is the material used to make the artwork. If you are spending your hard-earned cash, you need to buy a piece of art that is durable. For instance, if the artwork is painted on low quality cotton canvas it will get brittle over time. This is in comparison to Belgian Linen which is considered as one of the best canvas materials one can use for their artwork.
Conclusion
Aboriginal art is provocative, inspirational, and beautiful. It is also an asset for many . While this is true, buying art is one of the most difficult things one can do. However, if you put the factors above into consideration, you will never go wrong when it comes to Aboriginal art.
