Strong results at Important Australian art sale

Important Australian Art

26 Jun 2019

Sydney, Woollahra

John Mawurndjul

(born circa 1952)

Rainbow Serpent and Water Lilies, 1997

Bonhams' June auction of Important Australian Art in Sydney on 26 June saw strong results for works by internationally renowned artists John Mawurndjul, Paddy Bedford and Ivan Namirrki.

Following his important 2018 retrospective exhibition, demand for Mawurndjul's work has been high, and his monumental work on paper – Rainbow Serpent and Water Lilies – achieved a record auction price of $34,160 for a work by the artist on paper.

Bedford's classic 2000 work Garnkoorlbany – Jack Flood significantly exceeded its high estimate of $25,00, achieving $37,820; and Ivan Namirrki's very fine Lorrkon, saw spirited bidding and sold for $15,860 against an estimate of $3,000-5,000. These results confirm that the market for important, globally recognised artists in this field is vibrant.

A significant number of artefacts including a bardi shield and a fine and early throwing club (both repatriated from the United Kingdom), a large, Holt collection Lake Eyre fighting boomerang, and a fine and early Darling River region club all sold to an Australian public institution. The same institution also acquired a group of finely painted 1960s shells, sawfish bill and canvas by Groote Eylandt artist Nangabarra.