One of Australia’s most definitive collections of Aboriginal art is for sale. Widely known as the Laverty Collection, select artworks have been displayed at major museums and galleries globally over the years but the upcoming auction will be the first opportunity for collectors to purchase pieces from the owners.
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Art experts and collectors describe the sale as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” from a private collection that more closely resembled something held by a major gallery or museum. Deutscher and Hackett will conduct the sale of Beyong Sacred: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Laverty Collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney on Sunday.
“The Laverty Collection is one of the most well-known and respected and privately held collections outside the institutions,” says Crispin Gutteridge, Deutscher and Hackett’s head of Aboriginal art. “It has been lent to major museums and galleries around the world - and two books have been published on it - it is very well known, and it will be a sensational sale.”
The collection is the result of more than 40 years of Dr Colin and Elizabeth Laverty visiting Aboriginal communities and includes canvases, aboriginal artefacts and sculptures.
Dr Colin Laverty, OAM, was a renowned pathologist whose research on human papillomavirus led to the development of vaccines for the treatment of cervical cancer. In 2008, Dr Laverty was awarded an Order of Australia medal for his services to medicine. The collection of 166 pieces will be sold as part of his estate, having passed away in 2013.
Gutteridge says interest in the past week has resulted in early bids from collectors nationally and globally. The value of the sale is at “$1.6million to $2.4million,” he says, “but we imagine it will exceed that”. The Lavertys were true pioneers in the history of Australian art, he says.
“When they started collecting, they were in a position to travel to the communities and get first dibs on some of the best works out there in Aboriginal communities
“They have some of the best Paddy Bedford’s, John Mawurndjul. And then there were emerging artists in the late 90s that they were able to support from the very start. They were able to put together a comprehensive collection of works. “At their home they had musuem-quality storage facilities and each piece has been very well looked after. In some ways, if you are collecting, it is the ideal provenance you would want.”
Gutteridge says the collection can be described as a “who’s who of important indigenous artists”, as it features some of the finest works of Emily Kngwarreye, Rover Thomas, Paddy Bedford and John Mawurndjul.
Colin and Liz (Laverty) strongly believed that indigenous Australian art could hold its own amongst contemporary art from around the world, and this exhibition was able to prove their point.
- Crispin Gutteridge, Deutscher and Hackett
“The Lavertys were among the very first to embrace newer painting communities as they began, such as Bidyadanga in the Kimberley, west of Broome,” he says. “They travelled a lot and got out into different parts of Australia, remote communities, and stayed for days and established relationships with the artists. They appreciated to learn about it. It was an experience for them. Colin had been successful in his medical career and together they established their pathology business, which they then sold, and it was something they both felt were very fortunate to be able to do to become immersed in the art. They got immense joy out of it.”
Australian galleries that have exhibited the Laverty Collection in past years includes the National Gallery of Australia, state and regional galleries and the Museum of Contemporary Art. More than 130 works from the collection have been donated to public galleries under the Cultural Gifts Scheme. In 2008, the book Beyond Sacred: Australian Aboriginal Art – The Collection of Colin and Elizabeth Laverty was published to coincide with an exhibition of selected works at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.
“Colin and Liz strongly believed that indigenous Australian art could hold its own amongst contemporary art from around the world, and this exhibition was able to prove their point,” says Gutteridge, who knows first-hand how passionate the couple were about collecting.
“I have known Colin and Liz for quite a while and it was always a treat to to go to their house. It was a constant changing gallery. They were meticulous in their cataloguing and documentation of their works. The knew the story of how the artwork related to the land,” he says.
“The collection reflects the friendships they made when they collected each piece. While it is a shame to break it up, these works will go to institutions and other collectors and gives the buying public the chance to purchase some wonderful paintings,” Gutteridge says.
“They talked to the artists and established beautiful friendships with gallerists around the country and the artists. They did their research, the listened to the stories, they read and wrote a lot. They were the ideal collectors, they had the method and the means and they indulged that.”
Beyond Sacred: Australian Aboriginal Art The Laverty Collection artworks range from $800 to $180,000. The auction will be held on Sunday at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. Visit www.deutscherandhackett.com for more information.