Tombs of thought

Tombs of thought: water 2017
Tasmanian oak, burnt plantation pine, brass, glass, fan, inflatable balloon; contents selected from Brook Andrew’s personal archive, including books, postcards, photographic slides and found objects. Purchased with funds donated by Geoff Ainsworth AM and Johanna Featherstone 2018

Brook Andrew creates multilayered artworks that scrutinise dominant historical narratives. An avid collector, he has amassed a personal compendium of cultural objects that he draws on to create his installations.

Displayed here and in the adjacent rooms, Tombs of thought 2017–18 comprises five sculptural vitrines that represent the Daoist elements of water, earth, air, fire and metal. These elements conjure environmental forces, but the artefacts housed within the sculptures suggest an approach to knowing and ordering the world that revolves around objects and documents.

Drawing inspiration from archival and vernacular objects, Tombs of thought: water investigates the legacies of colonialism. The relations between the objects are deliberately unfixed. Andrew does not address these matters didactically, but instead invites viewers to pose their own questions about lesser-known stories and sacrifices.

A record of Work Amongst the Dark People of Australia – September 1927. The Organ of the Australian Aborigine’s Missions

Robbery under arms : a story of life and adventure in the bush and in the goldfields of Australia