Tony Albert: The Big Hose

Ahead of his next solo exhibition at Sullivan+Strumpf and major public art commissions set to open in Brisbane, Tony Albert takes time out with Hannah Sharpe, Gallery Associate at Sullivan+Strumpf, to talk public art, climate and Country, and how they have informed his latest collaborative project with artist Nell at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art.

Hannah Sharpe (HS) / You have several permanent major public art commissions coming up, all this year, all in Brisbane, the town where you grew up. What does that mean to you?

Tony Albert (TA) / It’s really great to have the opportunity to respond to a space and place where there’s a familiarity and a sense of belonging, and that’s very much what Brisbane means to me. It’s been an interesting transition, coming back to Brisbane after a decade. Over the past several years, I have primarily been based in Sydney or away on a number of longer international trips. I always knew, however, that Brisbane was a place that I was going to come back to.

HS / What are your childhood memories of growing up in Queensland during the 1980s?

TA / Queensland was such an interesting place to grow up. Politically, it has a conservative history. As an Aboriginal person it was, at times, fraught with complexities. I believe that’s why great art comes out of

The Big Hose Tony Albert and Nell artwork render Image courtesy QAGOMA

Queensland. People have something to say that is integrally important because of the way in which we grew up.

In saying that, there’s also something intrinsically special to growing up in Queensland that I have great memories of. We had a lifestyle that was about being outside and eating fresh fruit. It’s a childhood and general history of place that sits on this double-edged sword. We had strong communities because we needed to. We had, I think, a history of political oppression, which made us stronger as people.

HS / A significant project coming up for you is a collaboration between yourself and artist Nell for QAGOMA. The Big Hose is an interactive play sculpture which will sit alongside a stretch of Maiwar (the Brisbane River), a traditional meeting, trading and hunting place for Indigenous people. The monumental sculpture is slated to become a major landmark in Queensland, what sets this iconic work apart for you?

TA / Firstly, it’s the opportunity to collaborate with another artist. Nell and I shared a studio together for three and a half years in Sydney. We worked closely together and got to know one another so well, not just as contemporary artists but as friends. It is really exciting to bring together our two very unique styles.

The Big Hose is an interactive sculpture with a very special personal quality. It brings children and families into an imaginary playscape. Nell and I wanted to create a universal and accessible work that connects people and sparks a sense of wonder, curiosity, contemplation and joy.

Beyond this, on another level, we looked at the landscape and story of place, and envisaged a sculpture that would have deep cultural nuances attached to it—from indigenous history, through to contemporary art history. This work is a real chance for QAGOMA to expand upon its critical engagement with the community.

HS / Climate change has been an important focus within your practice. How does this work touch on this critical issue whilst remaining fun and engaging for children?

TA /
Climate change is not just important, it’s critical in the situation we find ourselves in. Indigenous people probably have the least to do with the catastrophic nature of climate, yet living in regional and remote communities, we are first to feel the incredible impact that it has not only because of location but because of our connection to land and Country, a history which imbues us with caring for Country over centuries. People are looking to Indigenous communities to understand the complexity of the problem and to investigate how can we go back to Indigenous knowledges and ways of thinking to find solutions.

The Big Hose incorporates the story place of Kuril, the water rat native to Brisbane. They have been reinvented within the context of this work as a climate crusader. They are someone young, passionate and sustainable, who

The Big Hose Tony Albert and Nell artwork render Image courtesy QAGOMA

shares knowledge about how to impactfully change how we look at the land under us—the ways in which we utilise it, and also how we should care and acknowledge it.

We feel honoured to be creating a public artwork that prioritises children’s learning, celebrates their inquisitive nature and continues QAGOMA’s dedication to excellence in engaging with children and their families.’ — Tony Albert (Brisbane, Girramay/ Yidinyji/Kuku Yalanji peoples) and Nell (Sydney).

Kuril’s ‘hose hideout’ is the first activation and encounter within the sculpture. The oversized nature of the hose creates a playfulness. There is no tap attached. The illusion of water has always been at the heart of the concept, not the use of water. It is educational and also presents an imaginary glimpse of what the future might hold. Weather, summer, heat and water are all synonymous with Queensland life. With climate change, growing infrastructure and changing landscapes, Kuril’s ‘hose hideout’ questions what areas our native animals will inhabit as their own habitat diminishes due to humanmade interventions.

QAGOMA’s 2022 Foundation Appeal is raising funds to commission The Big Hose—a monumental play sculpture that will bring joy to visitors of all ages.

Help bring this landmark sculpture to life by making a donation: qagoma.qld.gov.au/2022appeal

Tony Albert is represented by Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney. Nell is representedby Station Gallery, Sydney and Melbourne.