JARINYANU DAVID DOWNS

While David Downs’ success cannot be solely attributed to clever representation there is no doubt that he would never have achieved the degree of notoriety and acclaim had he not shared a special relationship with his agent Duncan Kentish. His unique imagery based on two vastly different religious traditions was conspicuous in galleries in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. They first appeared at auction in 1997 when 3 sold of the 4 offered and, at their peak, went on to attract lofty prices on the secondary market. By 2001, 6 years after his death, 27 works had been offered for sale of which 21 sold for a clearance rate of 78%, however the story is dramatically different since that time with 23 out of the 39 works offered failing to find a buyer. In a bullish market growing exponentially for all but a few major artists a drop from a success rate of 78% to one of just 41% is a dramatic, turn of events. Catastrophic even, if you happen to own a work and want to sell it. While his record price at auction was set in 2000 for Kurtal Lying Down at Muwa 1988 which achieved $36,800 at Sotheby’s against a presale estimate of $18,000-25,000 Lot 121), the large number works that have been passed in at auction between 2002 and 2007, indicated clearly that their estimates were far too ambitious and there needed to be a major readjustment to more realistic expectations by sellers wishing to find a buyer.

There have been exceptions but they are extremely rare. Works featuring distinctly Christian imagery are more unique and far less repetitious, than paintings depicting Kurtal. Only 3 of these have been offered for sale at auction and all have sold. Whale Fish Vomiting Jonah 1993, measuring 112 x 137 cm. fetched an impressive $14 950 in 1999, its desirability no doubt enhanced by the fact that it was being deaccessioned by the Holmes a Court collection and carried its code number. The 2 other’s were very small and sold for $4,800 and $3,600 when offered in Sotheby’s June 2004 sale (Lots 449 and 450). Lawson~Menzies sold a magnificent Ceremonial Shield c1989 for $18 000 in May 2005 (Lot 8) some 3 times the estimated price. And in July 2006 Sotheby’s set the artist’s second highest price of $31,200 for a wonderful small work measuring just 91 x 61 cm. that had been included in Niagara Galleries’ Blue Chip III collectors exhibition. (Lot 91) These exceptions are, however, by and large deviations from the norm. Though good pieces can still receive significant sale prices, work in the medium range has moved little and attempts at reselling work on the secondary market has proved unprofitable, if not impossible. Kurtal with Headdress of Radiating Wuring, 1990 sold for $3,600 in 2004, just a fraction higher than its sale price of $3,450 in 1998, despite a significant jump in its estimate from $3,000-5,000 up to $6,000-9,000. This simply underlines the fact that attempts at raising the value on mid-range and high-end works as the years have progressed has been largely met with failure.

David Downs was a unique and important artist who created a significant body of visually striking works. The relatively poor performance of his works at auction during the boom years 2004-2007 should not put collectors off from expressing interest in his works and buying selected pieces after deliberation. Many good works will be offered at far more reasonable estimates during the next decade. He is not an easy artist to access visually and many seem to find it difficult to discern the magnificent from the mundane. His images are an anomaly, as were Jimmy Pikes, in a region more renowned for lack of figuration. If you have any doubts about your own artistic intuition, then perhaps you are better placing your faith in safer waters, for many other artists are far easier to read.

© Adrian Newstead