From Carrie Miller…
In his first commercial exhibition in three years, Tony Albert focuses his attention on the importance of FAMILY – an enduring theme which runs through the artist’s practice and which imbues the political nature of his work with an inspiring and affirming quality. Albert’s showing a range of imposing pieces in Sullivan + Strumpf’s cavernous space, including one of his monumental wall installations, a series of new collages on aluminum, as well as works from his ongoing Be Deadly project.
The 31 year old had been considered an artist to watch for a while now and in the past couple of years he’s had considerable success with international exhibitions and overseas commissions. As part of this year’s 2nd Indigenous Arts Triennial at the National Gallery of Australia Albert exhibited Pay Attention Mother F__kers 2009-2010, a twenty-five metre long text piece which referenced an early ‘70s work by Bruce Nauman and which was a collaborative project featuring the work of twenty-six different artists.
In this show, Albert continues his commitment to the spirit of collaboration – to the idea of family in a broader sense – with the inclusion of a major work by the late Arthur Pambegan, Jr, an Aboriginal artist with whom he developed a close personal and creative relationship.
Until 8 September
Sullivan + Strumpf, Zetland
Pic: Albert, Tony. Be Deadly 2011. Acrylic and collage elements on linen, 213 x 152cm. Courtesy the artist & Sullivan + Strumpf.
