Mob have always been talented. We know this and we know it comes in many forms. In sporting, literature, politics, business, culture and the arts, we thrive as those before us did. The arts in-particular have always been a place for First Nations people to share stories, experiences and creativity through I vast range of mediums.

It’s no surprise that since the first Contemporary Aboriginal Artworks were painted by the community of Papunya (Warrumpi) these practices have evolved miraculously, to contain the ancient and developing histories of First Nations people. The growth and integrity of these artforms has now meant that Aboriginal Artists make up the lion’s share of working and successful artists in so-called Australia.

Although, through the astronomical rise in popularity of Aboriginal Art there has always lurked a dark shadow which jeopardises the integrity of the industry and the livelihood of the artists. This has come in the form of greed, dishonesty and manipulation, and can be attributed to the exploitation of First Nations artists by a private sector that has been vastly unregulated from the micro to the macro level.

You may ask how these vast systemic disparities affect young Blak artists who are only making their way into the industry. The reality is, that equity for Aboriginal people in the arts is a widespread issue that we need to understand and properly assess, so-as-to not fall victim to it either as consumers or artists ourselves.

Key factors to be aware of

Representation

The way First Nations artists are represented, and represent ourselves, has a lasting impact on your career and opportunities in the future. For example, it is always important that the people we allow to represent our work don’t use it for anything other than its intended purpose. That representation translates into a financial reality when you build. Reputation, and you want to make sure that you choose carefully what individuals and institutions you work with, and what their intentions are.

Commissions

Artists need to ensure that any commissions that people receive off of their work are fair, and are paid to those who have genuinely contributed to your ability to reach an audience or scale up your production works. There is always a need to make sure the financial remuneration you receive for your works not only allows you to continue to make work, but supports you in doing so.

As this is such an important and broad topic that directly effects the financial benefits of Mob, I thought it would be best to break down into a few articles, with this first piece defining some of the problems that we need to look out for. We will explore these ideas further in following articles.

Like every article on TomorrowMoney, this is not personal financial advice. If you are in debt and need free counselling, you can contact the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.