WHO WINS AND WHO LOSES WHEN ART IS STOLEN OR FORGED?

2There is a large, complex and vigorous art market in Australia. It consists of a wide range of different kinds of art, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, works in glass, ceramics, and antiquities, among others. There are hosts of artists, many alive and struggling, many deceased and revered, some deceased and perhaps undeservedly ignored. There are many different kinds of commercial enterprises that are devoted to art, including commercial galleries, auctions houses, arts and crafts shops, and of course, artists who sell directly to the public. There are many layers to the market as well, with a small number of established, mostly deceased, artists commanding exceptional prices for their art, ranging down to local (and living) artists where the costs for the art are quite modest. There is one important feature of the Australian art market that will be central to our discussions of illegal activities within it. While there is some amount of penetration of international art into Australia, in general the vast bulk of works sold is, or has been, produced by Australian artists. Occasionally works from well-known European artists come onto the auction floor in Australia, and occasionally a commercial gallery will mount a special exhibition of an offshore artist. In general, however, most gallery and auction sale