WHY IS AUSTRALIAN ART SO CHEAP?
‘Why is Australian art so cheap’ was a panel discussion presented by Artist Profile at Sydney Contemporary 2018. Compered by Barry Keldoulis, Director of Sydney Contemporary, the panel comprised international art consultant Mark Hughes, collector Dr Dick Quan and artists Cressida Campbell and Drew Connor Holland. This is an edited transcript of the one-hour panel conversation.
BARRY: THE IMAGE OF AUSTRALIA that is advertised is of furry animals and beaches, rather than a healthy and vibrant contemporary culture. Sometimes we think of ourselves in that way, as a holiday destination rather than a cultural one. Drew, you’ve got strong ideas on why Australian art is so cheap …
Drew: Emerging artists aren’t pricing their works high enough. When I was first starting to show work a few years ago, in artist run initiatives, I was pricing my work at $310. My parents said, ‘That’s too much!’. There’s definitely a broader cultural issue and understanding that art isn’t really worth much. When an emerging artist is starting to show in New York or China there’s much more of a drive to have a sale price. Here in Australia, it’s about exhibiting before reaching a sale price. There’s a big issue with how much we value art, not just culturally, but as a commodity as well.
Barry: It’s an interesting thing the pricing of art, there are so many factors. When I first opened my gallery, which showed a lot of emerging artists from New Zealand, I was struck with how much more New Zealanders paid for the work of young artists (though
