Summary

Said to be the only book on the history of the Aboriginal art trade, The Dealer is The Devil lifts the lid on what Robert Hughes once described as "the last great art movement of the 20th century."

After 30 years of consulting with Aboriginal artists all over Australia, Newstead has produced the definitive expose of "the first great art movement of the 21st century".

From remote Aboriginal communities with their dispossessed populations of tribal elders and troubled youth, to urban Aboriginal artists, the gleaming white box galleries, high powered auction houses, and formidable art institutions of major cities all over the world, Newstead combines personal anecdotes with an insider's grasp of the international art market.

With vivid portraits of artists, dealers and scamsters, the book races from pre-contact and colonial days to the heady celebrations of the Sydney Olympics and the devastating impact of the global financial crisis.

Newstead's humour, love and respect for his subjects, produces a story that reads at times like a thriller and also a lament for a lost world.

The Dealer is the Devil is Adrian Newstead's 'personal and encyclopaedic' examination of the Aboriginal art industry.