Collecting Australia’s Top Contemporary Artists on a Shoestring Budget (Part 2)
A guide to the editioned works and multiples that make some of Australia’s most recognised contemporary artists more accessible
Last week, I looked at prints by Australia’s blue-chip classics. This week, I’m turning to more contemporary names in the Australian art market.
As before, I’ve focused on recognisable artists and works that appear reasonably often at auction. Most of my picks sit below $10,000. In many cases, they are closer to $1,000. That makes them a much more realistic entry point into artists whose major paintings can now sell for hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars.
Criss Canning (b. 1947)
Criss Canning is an interesting name to watch in this group because her market has strengthened recently, with Gum Blossom from Pootilla setting a new auction record for the artist at $412,500 in 2025. Her prints, by contrast, still appear at much lower levels.
Two prints I would watch out for are Hakea and Other Seed Pods (edition of 60) and Pink Poppies (edition of 50), both capture the botanical subject matter collectors associate with her. Although neither have come up at auction recently, based on previous results, I would expect to pay somewhere between $3,000 to $5,000 for Hakea and around $1,000 for Pink Poppies.
Lin Onus (1948–1996)
Lin Onus is one of Australia’s most important First Nations artists, and his works are instantly recognisable. He brought a contemporary approach to the Australian landscape, often combining reflections, water, animals and traditional rarrk-style patterning.
Onus produced a number of screenprints in the mid-1990s before his death. Four to consider are Gumbirri Garginingi, Gumiring Garkman, Pitoa Garkman and Goonyah Na Bilda (each in editions of 85). These works are typical of his lily pond and reflection imagery, and I would expect to pay around $4,000 to $5,000.
Another print to consider is Michael and I are Just Slipping Down to the Pub for a Minute, the first in the series The Adventures of X & Ray. It features an ochre-striped dingo (Ray) in aboriginal coloured stripes surfing on a cross-hatched stingray (X), atop a Hokusai styled wave. The original painting sold at auction in 2025 for just over $300,000. It was also released as a print in an edition of 48 after Onus’s death. I generally prefer prints made during an artist’s lifetime, but this is such an iconic Onus image that I would make an exception. Expect to pay around $5,000.
Tim Storrier (b. 1949)
Tim Storrier’s most recognisable works are of surreal fires set against desolate landscapes, so I would focus on prints that capture those elements. Broadly, there are two types of prints that Storrier produces. The first are collagraphs, a specific printmaking technique, that usually appear in editions of 70. Ones to watch out for are Night Embers, Evening Line, and The Night Run. These works have sold for around $1,500 to $2,500 in the last year but you can also buy these works directly from the artist’s website for $5,500.
There are also archival pigment prints (usually released in editions of 25) that I believe are prints of his original paintings. These sell at auction for similar prices to the collagraphs.
Although there are paintings with similar subjects and titles, the collagraphs appear to be distinct works, and so for that reason are my preferred prints to buy.
Howard Arkley (1951–1999)
Arkley is one of the hottest names in the Australian auction market right now. In 2025, two of his paintings sold for $2.5 million each. The challenge is that the best Arkley prints are not all cheap. Interior with Built-in Bar, made with Juan Davila, is a major work in its own right and has carried estimates around $45,000 to $55,000. Then there are the prints of the suburban brick house also depicted in his painting Triple Fronted 1988. There appear to be multiple versions of this print in small editions of 5-8, with one of these selling for just under $25,000 last year. That puts these prints outside the shoestring category.
Possibly one of the more underrated buys in the entire auction market are the Zappo Head prints. Arkley started producing these in 1991 as an open edition. The base print appears in black and white, but what makes these interesting is that Arkley then hand coloured many of them in, essentially creating unique works, but they are not priced that way. One of these sold for under $1,000 in 2024 at Lawsons.
For the more classic suburban imagery Arkley is known for, Kalli Rolfe Contemporary Art, has released print reproductions. These are in editions of 499 and come in small and medium and (sometimes) large sizes. These works include Deluxe Setting, Triple Fronted, House with Native Tree, Riteroom, Nick Cave, and Zappo Head (the latter can be differentiated by the orange background from the same named print above). These sell between $3,000 - $5,000 at auction but have dropped in price from earlier this decade.
David Larwill (1956–2011)
David Larwill is not as blue-chip or as recognisable as other artists in this list, but he’s had hot momentum recently with many works selling at 2 or 3x the low estimates, and is amongst the most traded artists at auction. The works I would focus on are Dog and Yes, both from the mid-2000s and in editions of 50. Recently, these have sold for between $1,000 - $2,500. Though you may even be able to pick one up for less. Two further prints to consider are Hot Head and Blues (each also in editions of 50) that sell for similar prices as above.
Larwill’s best works have a child-like, energetic charm, and that translates well into print. This is a good-value collecting opportunity for someone who wants a lively, fun image by a well-regarded Australian artist without spending heavily.
Tim Maguire (b. 1958)
Tim Maguire’s market is strongest for his large, highly magnified flower and fruit paintings. There are a number of prints from the early 2000s I would focus on that capture Maguire’s signature zoomed in perspective on flowers. These prints include Shadows - Tulip, Shadows - Camelias, and Three Berries (each in editions of 50) and Open Tulip and Closed Tulip (each in editions of 80). These prints can be bought for around $1,000. Another earlier print to consider is Hollyhocks (edition of 30) from 1991 that has sold between $1,000 to $2,000 recently.
Cressida Campbell (b. 1960)
Technically, most of Cressida Campbell’s works are prints. Even those that sell for over $500,000. The difference is that most of these are unique woodblock prints, not conventional editioned prints. That means they are priced as original works rather than affordable multiples.
But one print to watch by Campbell is The Verandah (edition of 99) from 1987, though it is not necessarily cheap. This is an editioned print of the original work that set a record for Campbell’s works. It has sold for between $10,000 to $20,000 recently.
Two other works I would consider that capture Campbell’s style are Vegetable Garden and The Bush (each in editions of 99) both produced a year later in 1988. Vegetable Garden has sold for between $10,000 to $15,000, while The Bush is a smaller work and has sold for around $5,000 recently.
John Kelly (b. 1965)
John Kelly is best known for his absurd, humorous cow images. The cows are often shown in impossible situations: stacked on top of one another, stuck up a tree, or being carried across the landscape. They are funny, but they are also instantly recognisable, which is exactly what you want when buying a print or multiple by a major artist.
Kelly has made various etchings, but these are usually in small editions and do not appear often at auction. The work I would focus on is Cow Up A Tree. This is an open edition laser-cut steel work that is framed and can be displayed like a traditional print. It captures Kelly’s humour and visual identity in a very accessible format. I would expect to pay around $1,000.
Del Kathryn Barton (b. 1972)
Del Kathryn Barton is one of the most important contemporary names in this group with her works now fetching $500,000 at auction. Her works are these highly detailed psychedelic fantasy portraits. The works I would focus on are the three prints from That’s When I was Another Tree (each in an edition of 30), these currently sell for about $4,000 to $5,000 at auction. The Last Night of My Life with Cat is another solid option (also an edition of 30) with the figure and animal combination feeling strongly linked to Barton’s practice. These would be my picks of Barton’s prints.
There are also limited edition digital prints of her major works including Wild Carrot Dream (edition of 25), Those Eyes (edition of 75), and To Love Like This (edition of 150) that sell for around $2,000. And if you want a more toned down version of Barton’s works, then search out the prints from The Nightingale and the Rose series. This is a project inspired by Oscar Wilde’s fairy tale, originally created for an illustrated book. These works include wilder grew her song and the tree shook its head, “my roses are yellow”, it answered (each editions of 30) and sell for around $2,000.
CJ Hendry (b. 1988)
CJ Hendry’s market is very different from the others because it has been built heavily through direct releases, social media and a large international following. She blends fine art, collectables, and collaborations with major brands, in much the same way KAWS, Takashi Murakami, and Daniel Arsham have done. This month she’s had huge success in Sydney with her Flower Market collaboration with Pandora.
Hendry understands contemporary collecting culture extremely well; the risk is that her works may be judged more like hype collectibles than enduring artworks. For those interested in embracing Hendry’s practice, the HOOOOOOPS series is the one I would focus on. These are small prints from an edition of 100, usually sold with the original suitcase packaging. Recent examples such as Barkley, Johnson, Jordan and O’Neal have sold for around $2,000 to $3,000.
Like last week, there are a few names that almost fit this list. But not quite.
Although photographers often work in editions, I’ve chosen not to include them, as I’ll likely look at them separately on another occasion. If you want to get a head start, names to consider include Max Dupain (1911 - 1992), Tracey Moffatt (b. 1960), Michael Cook (b. 1968), Shaun Gladwell (b. 1972). And although better known for her sculptures, Patricia Piccinini (b. 1965) has also produced a number of photography prints.
Two other artists specifically calling out: Garry Shead (b. 1942) is one of Australia’s top contemporary artists and has produced a number of prints, but these have appeared at auction infrequently. Look out for his Annunciation series. Another artist to watch is Brent Harris (b. 1956) who hasn’t achieved the same success as other artists in this list, but has a strong print practice and is well respected in art circles.
What stands out from this group is the range. You can find contemporary still lifes and domestic interiors from Criss Canning, Cressida Campbell and Tim Maguire; surreal fires from Tim Storrier; psychedelic portraits from Del Kathryn Barton; ultra-contemporary collectible editions from CJ Hendry, and the very recognisable works of Howard Arkley.
Many of these artists now have paintings selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. In Arkley’s case, multiple works have sold for more than $1 million. That can make them feel completely unobtainable.
But prints and multiples offer another way in. They are not all bargains, and not every edition by a famous artist is worth chasing. But if you focus on recognisable images, good condition, sensible prices and works that genuinely connect to the artist’s best-known practice, there are still opportunities to collect some of Australia’s most recognised contemporary artists on a far more modest budget.