In The art that made me, artists discuss works in the Art Gallery of NSW collection that either inspire, influence or simply delight them. This selection by Tony Albert first appeared in Look – the Gallery’s members magazine.
‘I try to unearth hidden histories,’ artist Tony Albert has said of his work. Through artworks which combine text, video, drawing, painting and three-dimensional objects, the Art Gallery of NSW trustee and chair of the Gallery’s Indigenous Advisory Group examines the legacy of racial and cultural misrepresentation of Aboriginal people in Australia, inviting viewers to reconsider historical mistruths and injustices. ‘I also try to challenge the idea of what Aboriginal art is,’ Albert has noted. ‘There’s this perception of dot art being [pan-] Aboriginal. Even in a traditional concept, my people never ever did dot paintings’.
The great diversity of Aboriginal art practice runs throughout the four Gallery collection works which have a special resonance for the artist.