DARWIN—It's not just the colour, dots and intriguing designs that draw Americans to Aboriginal art.
It's also the history and meaning behind the work, says Austrade representative Joel Newman, who is working to open the door to the multi-billion dollar US market.
Indigenous paintings already occupy a small but lucrative niche in the US art scene.
But Mr Newman, who is Austrade's Los Angeles-based visual arts and services business development manager, hopes their profile - and sales - will grow following a tour of American buyers, curators, collectors, dealers and gallery owners.
The high-profile delegation will visit more than 20 Aboriginal community art centres, starting in the Northern Territory.
They will stop at Uluru, Arnhem Land, Alice Springs and Darwin before crossing to remote areas in South Australia and Western Australia, including the Kimberley region.
"Americans are warming to Aboriginal art," Mr Newman said.
"Some of the art will travel back into people's collections and essentially be there for them to enjoy.
"The gallery owners will probably take them back, hang them up on their walls and they will hopefully end up in the hands of average Americans."
Mr Newman, who will lead the 14-day tour which wraps up on June 7, said people often did not know what to think when they first glimpsed the work.
"People get attracted to it for different reasons - the vibrant colours, meaningful images," he said.
"America's sophisticated investors, collectors and wealthy elite are prepared to part with their money for quality art and should be targeted by Australian artists."
It is the second time an American delegation has been taken through the outback and their acquisitions are expected to surface in New York, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Miami, Denver and Chicago.
Major indigenous Australian collections are already held in New York, California, Virginia and Washington.
Bernadette Eggington, Austrade's Darwin-based export adviser, said the tour was also targeted to the high-end US art market.
"Aboriginal artists have a great advantage in this market because they draw their inspiration from their unique country," she said.
"This often helps to create images and colours that are very different to what US art collectors and buyers are used to seeing."
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