Tony Albert
2015
The BIG Bullets are a tribute to the Indigenous souls who served in WWII. There are 4 standing and three laying on the ground. All metaphorical to reflect the experience of 7 service men.
The Sculpture is called 'Yininmadyeemi, thou didst let fall' by Tony Albert
The sculpture was inspired by an Aboriginal man named Eddie Albert. Eddie Albert was 29 when he signed up for war during WWII in 1940.
He went through the usual training and later that year was deployed to the Suez Canal. He didn't arrive at his destination though due to a very clever German Spy dressed as a British soldier. The spy gave them directions into the desert where a gun battle ensued and a surrender lead to Eddie's capture.
Eddies fate was to spend the next 4 years in prison camps but prison officers soon learnt Eddie was a serial escapist. Eddie, along with 6 other men, escaped and took refuge in a neighboring town but weren't long recaptured.
To send a message prison officers executed 3 of the escaped prisoners and took the remaining four back to camp. This being the significance of the sculpture.
Four standing bullets and three spent shells.
Tony chose bullets as they were a strong symbol of war. Tony Albert is a descendant of Eddie Albert which makes the dedication even more sentimental and
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