Sales of Aboriginal art generated a mere $666,000 in 1988 but last year turnover hit a new record of $14.3 million; this figure will be exceeded again this year.

The continuing rise in the popularity of the art has created an industry with a growing number of black artists producing works of varying quality. According to John Furphy’s Australian Art Sales Digest, 775 Aboriginal artists were represented in auction sales last year compared with less than a 10th that number 20 years ago.

Aboriginal art is again up for sale at two auctions. One took place in Melbourne last night and there is one next Tuesday evening. Bonhams & Goodman included a dozen Aboriginal paintings in its big art auction last night while Paul Sumner’s small Mossgreen saleroom is holding its first Aboriginal art sale next week.

Unlike Sotheby’s auction last month where a Clifford Possum sold for $2.4 million, none of the 130 or so works to be offered in the latest two sales are covered by the Protection of Moveable Cultural Heritage Act and so can be taken out of the country if an overseas collector buys them. The purpose of the act is to “protect, for the benefit of the nation, objects which if exported would significantly diminish Australia’s cultural heritage”.

It came into force in 1987 and prohibits the export of any Aboriginal art work that is older than 20 years and worth more than $10,000. As time passes more and more of the early paintings require permits to be exported – which are only issued if an auction-house can persuade an expert panel that Australia would lose nothing by them going overseas.

In the past 12 months, some 4,600 objects have been assessed under the act and these include a small number of Aboriginal art works. A list of all those refused an export permit since 1988 is available here.

An estimated 30,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures by Aboriginal artists have gone under the hammer since the act was proclaimed and a significant number have been sold to foreign collectors.

Sotheby’s estimates that up to 70 per cent of the works, by value, it sells at its Aboriginal art auctions go to overseas buyers yet, according to the federal Environment Department which administers the act, only 22 works have been refused a permit in almost two decades.

It would, presumably, be a simple matter for any art work to be taken out of Australia without a collector declaring it to be covered by the act. But how many have been illegally removed in this way is impossible to say.