Gala Art Auction at GLOBAL GALLERY

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Interesting to see the new breed of art auction that Global Gallery in Paddington Sydney is instigating. In conjunction with Lawson’s Auctioneers, Global aims to fuse a contemporary art auction into a gallery environment with the atmosphere of an opening show – their mission “to bring a relaxed, down to earth element” into an auction, away from the traditional atmosphere of the auction houses.  Nothing wrong with that – anything that can engage the general buying public and stimulate falling art sales has to be commended into today’s uncertain financial climate.

What is more interesting is that this  “gala auction” is focused on contemporary, pop and urban art. Is mixing these three art genres together in itself making a statement? Has urban art now achieved an acceptable status in the Australian Art World?

Urban art has been respected as collectible and investment art for some years internationally, and when one of the UK’s oldest established auction house, Bonhams, dedicated two Urban Art two auctions a year back in 2008 and heavily publicized it, it drove new interest and buyers to this art. Suddenly, emerging buyers from the monied up Russians and the Middle East took interest and fuelled the market, helping to drive the prices higher and higher.

In Australia though, Urban art has been slower to be respected for investment value by the established art circles and apart from a few galleries now giving these artists attention, most of the art world has ignored this scene. It is mainly the mainstream media that has given attention to the big hitters such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey, in turn finding a new breed of art appreciation in the general public.

Having previewed this auction at Global this Thursday, it is interesting to see the different art genres jostling with each other for attention on the walls. The urban work (the younger upstart of these 3 genres) more than holds its own amongst the more established types and dare I say even overshadows some of the older contemporary works, making some look irrelevant and lack lustre. I’m sure the more established Aussie names of the contemporary and pop art worlds such as Martin Sharp will hold their own ground, but it will be interesting to see what results the Australian urban artists such as Ben Frost, Anthony Lister, Ghostpatrol, HA HA etc, garner when the works go under the hammer.

With this recently increased awareness, one wonders, is this the maybe beginning of the changing of the guard?