MAKINTI NAPANANGKA

While Makinti Napanangka appeared regularly between 2003 and 2006 amongst the ’50 Most Collectable Artists’ in Art Collector’ magazine, her work varies in quality greatly and has become increasingly untidy since the beginning of 2007. Six of the 7 highest prices are all for relatively large works equal or greater than 122 x 152 cm. in size while the vast majority of her lesser results have been for relatively minor paintings or paintings with provenance other than Papunya Tula Artists.

It was in fact a non-Papunya Tula painting which set a record for the artist in May 2005 at Lawson-Menzies when sold for $60,000 against a presale estimate of $50,000-60,000. The work was originally purchased from Central Art in Alice Springs and accompanied by a 40-minute video of the artist painting at various stages throughout its creation. Her current record stands at the $72,000 paid for a beautiful Papunya Tula painting Lupulnga 2003 at Sotheby’s in July 2006, which carried a presale estimate of $60,000-80,000. Still with an average of $10,260 and just 13 works sold above this mean, 11 have Papunya Tula provenance.

Surprisingly 31 works, with many fine paintings amongst them, have sold for less than $5,000. These have included a number of relatively large pieces sold principally through Lawson Menzies and Shapiro Auctioneers between 2003 and 2005. Her 2007 results were mixed however. While Mossgreen set her 3rd highest result for a rather crudely executed Papunya Tula work in August (Lot 17) carrying an estimate of $25,000-35,000, and Lawson-Menzies achieved her 5th highest result to date, two extremely accomplished paintings carrying estimates of $12,000-18,000 at Sotheby’s and $35,000-40,000 at Lawson-Menzies failed to sell. None-the-less her average sales price crept higher from $9,777 to $10,160. By the end of 2008 it sat at $10,260 after a year in which two works entered her top 10 results and 10 paintings sold of 14 on offer.

Makinti’s best year at auction in recent times was 2005 when 12 of 18 sold for a total of $182,513. Sales decreased by one-third in 2006 although 8sold of the 11 offered and this high clearance rate was replicated in 2007 and 2008 No less than 8 works produced in 2003 and all but 3 works produced from 2000 onward dominate her best twenty results. Yet one realty lovely pale painting measuring 91 x 91 cm., which was created as early as 1994 registered her fourth best result for 2007, and her 18h best result overall. It is the only work created this early in her career that has ever been offered for sale to date.

Although having Papunya Tula provenance generally adds value it is the image, which is the ultimate determiner of the value of Makinti’s works. She is extremely highly regarded and now edging toward the end of her life. Having begun painting in the early 1990’s her output has been relatively small. Expect the prices of her smaller paintings to rise considerably over time and her major works to fetch an ever-increasing premium once the primary market for her work dries up.

© Adrian Newstead