The reputation of Lloyd Rees may well be the sleeping giant of the Australian art world. Rees has always been well loved - especially in Sydney - but the humble beauty of his art has often lead to it being under-appreciated. Lloyd Rees was a stunningly consistent artist over his whole career - from his early exquisite pencil drawings and paintings to the Turner-like splendor of his last years. His early work - especially 'The Road to Berry' was an influence on Brett Whiteley and although some people are not so sure about his later works I believe they are unique in Australian art in their treatment of light. I have a late Lloyd Rees lithograph in my own collection and am still amazed by how much it moves me when I look at it.

Posted in: Collecting Art

Robert Dickerson is an artist who sits within the modernist tradition of Australian art. His works largely consists of subtle variations upon his own distinctive way of representing the human face. Once you are familiar with a few Dickerson paintings or prints you will find his work easy to pick out. It is this very fact that is sometimes used as a criticism of his art. However I think that this is a superficial stance. Robert Dickerson's work is very rarely pretty. I would argue that what people are responding to - in part at least - is its underlying emotional appeal - the hints of sadness and anger that these figures exhibit in their familiar suburban or work settings. Dickerson's art is more than just a 'branding' phenomena. He has tapped into some sort of questioning dis-ease within our everyday life.

Posted in: Collecting Art

I suspect that the first piece of art that an Australian collector purchases is often a Leunig print. Michael Leunig's etchings, lithographs and engravings have a rare combination of high artistic quality and wide accessibility that make them a great starting point for people who are interested in collecting art. Indeed it is their obvious popularity that can sometimes obscure their excellent artistic value. Leunig has an exceptional sense of line and even more importantly a truly original artistic vision. A framer I use who works with some of Australia's most well respected artists often comments on the high quality of a Leunig print or painting that I have sent in for framing. If you are looking to start building a collection of Australian art perhaps the first piece you should consider is a Leunig print.

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In my opinion John Olsen is an artist who has done some of his best work in the printmaking and watercolour mediums. Some of Olsen's watercolours rival and possibly outshine his paintings at showing off his spindly calligraphic line. Olsen's etchings and lithographs are some of the most distinctive prints ever made in Australia. Most are instantly identifiable as his work but the diversity he displays even while exploring similar themes is phenomenal. Both Olsen's series exploring the life of 'Frogs' and 'Cats' abound in iconic imagery. Lastly I would add that there has been a high level of consistency in the quality of Olsen's prints over the last 50 years. A great reference is 'John Olsen - His Complete Graphics 1957-2005' by Ken McGregor. Published by Macmillan.

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Euan Macleod commented after winning the 2006 Blake Prize that people now tend to respond more to the financial value of a painting rather than being moved by the artwork itself. If you read even a small section of the fine arts press you will quickly notice that discussions abound about art, money, investment and the conflicting energies these involve. Often these pieces will contain a quote from a gallery owner taking the high moral ground against those who link art with money. It can then be a little confusing to walk into their gallery and see a canvas for $300,000 on the wall!

Is the financial value of an artwork simply reflective of the law of supply and demand? Or is it better to see money as a necessary evil in the art environment? Is it really morally wrong to invest in art instead of a share portfolio? Is the financial value of an artwork best seen as an indicator of how desirable an artwork is or can it also function as a measure of its cultural value?

A lot of my clients have commented to me that although they are not buying an artwork purely as an investment, they like the idea of it one day being worth more than what they paid for it. And I suspect that most who spend more than $3000 on a piece hope that it will retain some sort of financial value.

One of the reasons I started collecting works on paper was that I found that I could pick up a quality piece by an artist I loved at a much better price than a canvas. Over time though, I found that with several artists, like John Olsen, I actually preferred their works on paper to their paintings. This doesn't mean however that I would pay more for an Olsen etching than I would for an oil. So I have to admit that my knowledge of the market value is still an important factor in how I value a piece.

Posted in: Collecting Art