HELICOPTER JOE TJUNGURRAYI

With collectors keen to purchase his works since they first appeared in galleries from 1995 onward, works by Helicopter Tjungurrayi did not begin appearing on the secondary market until 2001. His entry was less than auspicious, with only Billarn Rockhole 1997 and Burrundjarri Rockhole 1996 selling of the five offered during 2001 and 2002. Billarn Rockhole achieved a reasonable $3,300 given the estimate of $2,500-4,000 placed on it in Sotheby’s July 2001 sale (Lot 256). However, the fortunes of his works at auction increased dramatically over the following three years, in no small part due to the exposure he received through two solo exhibitions with Alcaston Gallery in Melbourne. Solo exhibitions by Balgo Hills artists were rare at that time, and Helicopter was one of the first artists from the community so honoured. Between 2003 and 2005, 12 paintings were offered, of which 11 were sold. These included the work that held his record until 2010 as well as paintings that occupy his fourth, eighth and tenth places in his current top ten.

Prior to 2010 his record was the $7,200 set by Lawson~Menzies in May 2004 when Mamakarra Soakage 2000 sold carrying an estimate of $5,000-7,000 (Lot 127) while Shapiro Auctioneers established his fourth highest result in their March 2005 sale (Lot 30). Despite 2006 being a bit of a wash-out with only two sold of six offered, 2007 saw works enter positions two, four and ten in his sales list. The best of these was the work untitled 2003 which was offered at Joel Fine Art in June and achieved $6,383 (Lot 47). Five works were offered in 2010, with three selling taking both the first and second places in this top ten artworks list. In July, Sotheby’s sold Wangkartu for $12,600 against a presale estimate of $10,000–15,000 and Deutscher and Hacket achieved second place with the sale of Jupiter Well, 2004 for $8,400. Similarly, 2011 brought another record-making sale, Jupiter Well 2003, which created a new second place when it sold for $9,150 at Mossgreen's November Auction (L122). With this steady increase in sales and new works entering the top ten list each year, Helicopter is an artist whose work seems to be increasing in value on a yearly basis. He is now the oldest of the Balgo male artists and as his production in the primary market slows, expect his secondary market prices to continue their steady rise.

Overall Lawson~Menzies has taken up the running with the most prolific offering of Helicopter’s works having sold 12 works for a total value of $45,208. Sotheby’s follow with six works sold, Deutscher and Hackett with three, and Joel Fine Art with two. A variety of other auction houses have sold just one each. Unfortunately, Helicopter has rarely painted works larger than 120 x 80 cm other than participating in a number of so-called ‘triptychs’ that were produced during James Cowan’s tenure at the art centre. These works, while interesting, will always be discounted in value due to the lack of connection between the Dreamings rendered by each of the artists who participated on the one canvas. In hindsight, it seems such a terrible pity that artists like Helicopter were not just given a 180 x 120 cm canvas or larger on which to complete their own individual work. Had he the opportunity to paint three-metre canvases I have no doubt they would rival those of Turkey Tolson, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa and others. Only two works 150 x 90 cm had been offered and these were the largest to appear at auction. They sold for $5,040 and $4,642 in 2005 and 2007 respectively. Neither however, were of a quality to set the world on fire. 2010 saw the first larger work of high quality hit the secondary market, and this set his highest price record of $12,600. Expect to see more major works eventually make their way into the auction houses and establish new records for this very interesting and important Kukatja medicine man.