The Dealer is the Devil (Adrian Newstead, Brandl & Schlesinger)

The Dealer is the Devil could have been called Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Aboriginal Art. Adrian Newstead started selling Indigenous art in Sydney in 1981 and I think he can justifiably be called an expert. This book reflects his years of experience and is both personal and encyclopaedic; it is sufficiently well-illustrated but the text is a masterpiece of art writing. He retells with excitement the ethnology and early collection of art and artefacts. He traces the growth in international interest in the 20th century, the story of artist Albert Namatjira, and the recognition of Indigenous art as something special. Over the years Newstead has travelled across outback Australia to meet and buy from artists, and their stories are used to illustrate the richness and diversity that exists in Indigenous art (each area has different styles and symbols, and each artist has their own style, and so on). Politics is always in the background, and Indigenous culture and pride are well-presented. Because Newstead is a dealer, he always knows the price, historic and current, which adds a little spice to the story. After reading this book I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and was able to look much more knowledgeably at the Indigenous art. This is a great book to help readers understand the beauty and significance of Indigenous art.

Clive Tilsley is the owner and director of Fullers Bookshop

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Category: Reviews