DESCRIBING AUTHENTICITY CONCEPTUAL DISSONANCE IN DEFINING AUTHENTIC FOR THE FIRST NATIONS VISUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS MARKET

BY ANDRE MURRELL

I Introduction

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Visual Arts and Crafts Study Report (‘Report’), released on 13 December 2022, was centred on the preservation of authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual art and handicraft (‘VA&H’) market¹. The Report, produced by the Australian Productivity Commission (‘PC’)², sought to examine the nature of the market and provide recommendations addressing the proliferation of inauthentic First Nations VA&H³

Inauthentic works in this space make up a significant portion of the general vendor market4. The prevalence of inauthentic works risks reduced visibility of Indigenous-authored goods, weakened consumer confidence, perceived reduction in value of the market and misrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture5

Despite authenticity being central to the Report’s objective, ambiguity surrounds how to succinctly define and deploy the term6. The Report’s main obstacle is incorporating all groups’ suggestions for definition criterion, and the aptitude for ‘authentic’ to describe and embody how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists view their works.

The present essay analyses the latter obstacle, concluding that a single definition of ‘authentic’ in this context cannot be responsive to all First Nations perspectives on the matter because of some parties’ contention to ‘authentic’ as being a culturally-responsive term describing the relationship between First Nations authors and their VA&H works.

¹ Australian Government Productivity Commission, ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Visual Arts and Crafts’ (Study Report) (13 December 2022) (‘Report’); preceded by the Australian Government Productivity Commission, ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Visual Arts and Crafts’ (Draft Report) (19 July 2022).

²The Australian Productivity Commission is the Commonwealth Government’s independent research and advisory body. Its focus areas are social, environmental and economic issues that affect the welfare of Australians. Its role is to inform governments on certain issues, to assist in the Government’s implementation of better policy.

³ Report (n 1) 44.

4 Between 69-76% of online souvenir and gift shop goods depicting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designs were not authored by Indigenous artists, Ibid 114.

5 Ibid 3.

6Ibid 3, 109.