The Australian Art World

A unique history of the Australian art market since World War II. Van den Bosch traces the development of the Australian art market from a small, parochial outpost to its integration into the major international art markets.

A unique history of the Australian art market, The Australian Art World combines an understanding of the work of professional Australian artists with a detailed analysis of the forces that drive the markets in which their work is sold.

In Australia after 1960 the relationship between artists and their society was altered as the expectations and tastes of the Australian public changed. The activities and expansion of National and State art galleries also instituted firm links with the market, through the promotion of the aesthetic values of Australian art and the establishment of artists' reputations. With the opening of Australian offices of Christie's and Sotheby's in the 1970s, and the recognition of Aboriginal art by collectors, the Australian art market was integrated into the major markets based in London and New York it is now part of a global market.

Annette van den Bosch traces the impact of the post-war development of the international art market, the rise of the major auction houses, the influence of wealthy collectors and the establishment of price indexes.

Essential reading for anyone involved in the art industry in Australia, The Australian Art World will also appeal to readers with an interest in art history, audience research, public policy, cultural economics and investment.

Nobody has written in quite the same depth or in quite the same context about the evolution of the Australian art market. So this book will fill an important gap in the literature on the visual arts in Australia.'

David Throsby is Professor of Economics at Macquarie University

It both enriches and challenges many of our long-held preconceptions about the way the art world was and the way it now is. It fills the gaps, it completes the big picture and it is essential subject reading.'

William Wright, Sherman Galleries