Evan’s Corner: Our Legacy

Written by: Evan Lowenstein

For this edition I invited Emeritus Professor Chris Wallace-Crabbe from Melbourne University to review a very interesting book I read that is an excellent source of history about the genesis of the commercial aspects of the Australian art world.
In Inside the Art Market: Australia’s Galleries, A History 1956-1976 written by Dr Christopher Heathcote there are some wonderful stories and anecdotes told in a playful and interesting manner.
This book adds to the already substantial body of work that expands on the Australian art world and is a welcome addition.
Professor Wallace-Crabbe discusses these observations in his review.
Lowensteins was really pleased to be noted towards the end of the book for our role in the arts industry. Whilst Heathcote’s book discusses the formative history of the commercial world of art galleries and auction houses from 1956-1976, he also points to the future years after 1976.
In the last sentence of his book Dr Heathcote writes,
“There would be a conspicuous new player on the national art scene, the influential accountancy firm Lowenstein Sharp (Ed note: the old name of Lowensteins Arts Management) which swiftly became financial adviser to nearly every significant artist in the country.”
Lowensteins is honoured to be mentioned as having a pre-eminent role in the Australian art world, a role which we take seriously and proudly, especially as we are approaching challenging times in the art world.