I am a huge fan of Australian Aboriginal Art – artists like Gloria and Jeannie Petyarre are two of my favourite artists and I am lucky enough to own some of their work.
I was disgusted this week to find that Tony Antoniou, an Adelaide art wholesaler had been importing artefacts from Indonesia and passing them off as Aboriginal art. The deception went further claiming that the artist was “Ubanoo Brown”. There is no such person as Ubanoo Brown and this man was selling the fake art for prices ranging from $20 to $200.
The lesson to come from this is to always buy from a reputable art dealer. Do not buy Aboriginal art from souvenir shops and beware of “cheap” art. Be prepared to pay a reasonable price for good works and if you suspect that artwork is fake, report it immediately. If you own any of the fake art please contact your dealer and demand a full refund.
This is a painting by Gloria Petyarre
Michael Marquette