RAMMEY RAMSEY

Rammey Ramsey's paintings first appeared at public auction in 2007. By then his work had been included in six group exhbitions and 3 solo exhibitions. Given he only began painting at 65 years of age in 2000 this was quite an achievement. It was not until 2011 that more than 20 works had been offered for sale and at that time his success rate was poor with only 50% of works finding new homes. His record price however stood at $19,200, a record set in 2009 by a work entitled Doowoon Country - Tranie Gorge, 2004 at Deutscher & Hackett, and equalled by another work at the same auction house in 2010.Thougn many arguably finer works have been offered for sale since that time, these two records still stand today as they highest prices ever paid for a work by Ramsay. Two other works hold his 3rd highest price of $18,600. Warlawoon Country 2008 sold at Deutscher & Hackett's sale of the Laverty Collection in 2015 and this equalled the price acheived at Bonham's two eyars earlier for a work of the same name created in 2007.

Shortly after the begining of 2016, the number of works by this artist that had been offered for sale on the secondary market had risen to 51 of which 61 percent have sold. it has been enough to see Ramsay finally break into the top 100 artists of the movement in 96th position.Rammey Ramsey is an artist who typifies the move in appreciation of Aboriginal art from those with an interest in its origins and culture, to those looking for works that resonate with contemporary abstraction. It is hard to look at his work and not compare it with that of designers under the influence of Sonia Delaunay. They are, regardless of that fact, highly accpomplished and attractive paintings. Ramsay was not a particularly productive artist and as a result his ouvre is relatively small. The best of his paintings will without doubt continue to find willing buyers whenever they appear at auction.

© Adrian Newstead