Row over Aboriginal art
NON-Indigenous Cairns artist Stephen McLean (Duk Duk) says his career is in tatters after the Australian consumer watchdog's investigation into his dealer selling his work as "authentic Aboriginal art".
As industry and dealers yesterday expressed their anger over claims made by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Mr McLean said he had never pretended to be indigenous, despite going by a tribal name.
Doongal Aboriginal Art and Artefacts, which has galleries in Cairns and Kuranda, is expected to face the ACCC in the Federal Court in Brisbane next month for allegedly selling bogus Aboriginal art made by three non-indigenous artists.
The local artists are Mr McLean, his brother Paul Whiteman "Kulangu Balanda" and Diane Sharp.
The ACCC says Doongal’s owners, Farzad and Homa Nooravi, misrepresented to the public that the work was created by artists of Aboriginal descent through their website, signs and certificates of authenticity saying "original Aboriginal art".
Mr McLean yesterday said he started selling his art by his real name in 1990, but was later asked by Shirley Collins, the indigenous owner of Raintrees Aboriginal art gallery in Darwin, to use the tribal name "Duk Duk".
He later sought traditional testimonies from Aboriginal people after seeking permission to paint in his own Aboriginal style.
Mr McLean said he had not made a cent since Mr Nooravi took his and the other artist’s paintings off the shelves three months ago.
"I’ve always maintained how white I am when selling to galleries or privately," he said.
"I get treated the same as the local indigenous people. I’ve seen paintings of mine that I’ve sold to him (Mr Nooravi) for $1000 that have sold for between $5000 and $10,000," he said.
Yesterday, Kuranda’s Aboriginal Galleries of Australia owner Jim Bonnell said he backed the ACCC investigation on authenticity.
Not-for-profit contemporary Cairns arts organisation KickArts said it found the ACCC allegations "alarming".
"These are allegations that still need to be proven," director Rae O’Connell said.
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Hard times: Artist Stephen McLean, “Duk Duk”, says he has always told dealers and art buyers he is white .
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