Meet the artist behind Nambour's new tram design
Russell Anderson in his Curramore workshop ... “Nambour has its own energy and hopefully the tram will be part of that energy.”
Russell Anderson is the artist behind Nambour’s new tram design. To be unveiled at the official opening of Nambour’s Western Tram Terminus this Friday (May 14) there’s a lot riding on the concept. It represents the culmination of nearly ten years work by Tramway Company Chairman Greg Rogerson and his board and marks a milestone in the reimagining of the former sugar town, once the commercial hub of the Sunshine Coast.
Even so, Russell says anyone expecting a “traditional” tram design was in for a shock. “When I pitched my idea it was a bit left-of-field compared to what they were thinking,” he said. “But my interest was in building an art object that was also fully functional as a working tram. Realistically, this tram’s function is not primarily for transport. It’s a tourist attraction. It represents the town’s history. I see a lot more potential than it just being a vehicle that transports people. I think it’s a lot more than that. Maybe a cultural catalyst or something like that. And if it has culture and whimsy built-in and if it has more spirit and life to it, then I hope it may become a springboard for other cultural activities and ideas and artworks in town.
“Nambour has its own energy and hopefully this will be part of that energy.”
Russell was nervous but philosophical about how people would react to his design. “I think there will be people that really love it and there will be people that really hate it. Because that’s the way people are.
“But if you just up-rooted a conventional-looking tram and plonked it in Nambour it wouldn’t work,” he said. “And I didn’t want to just repeat history and create a cane train. This is a passenger vehicle, but it’s also got to be a work of art. It has to be a beautiful object in its own right. It has to be a beautiful thing.”
Russell said his work was also inspired by a sense of fun and whimsy. “In my mind this design was inspired somewhat by the time Einstein came up with his time dilation theory. Because he was on a tram at the time and he came up with the theory driving away from the Berne station looking back at a clock. The Nambour tram is meant to travel at the speed of light to test his theory. That thought is what inspired me at an artistic level. I’ve always been a little whimsical in my work. Tongue in cheek humour is a part of what I do I suppose.”
Russell has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) as well as a Master of Arts through Queensland University of Technology and expertise in electronics and metal working but the project represents quite a challenge.
“To make something like this that had to be fully functional and compliant was a challenge. So this is where Covey Associates is integral. My job is to oversee the whole project but I’ll be working very closely with Covey Associates ... all the compliance and engineering rests with them.”
Just the right impetus
Mr Rogerson said Mr Anderson’s input was exactly the impetus the project needed at the right time. “He’s an exceptional artist, tradesperson and an exceptional human being,” Mr Rogerson said. “Russell has demonstrated buy-in to Nambour’s tram project on an extraordinary level. His collaboration with engineering firm Covey Associates has been an absolute blessing.
“He said to me right from day one ‘if you want a heritage style San Francisco-type tram I’m not doing it’. Nambour’s tram is going to be so much more than a mode of transport. It’s going to be an experience and a moving piece of art. We couldn’t have asked for anyone better to team up with.”
Mr Rogerson said he hoped the tram would be designed built and “on the tracks” within 12 months.
And not before time. “It’s been a hard slog,” the former Div 10 Councillor said. “It’s been nine years in the making. But the good Lord looked down on the board and gave us a helping hand. We were just about exhausted trying to find a manufacturer that would do it justice, do it locally and do it at an affordable rate. And thank goodness we found Russell.”
About the artist
A full-time artist for 20 years in public art commissions, community projects, theatre design and festivals Russell Anderson, 49, lives with his partner – jeweler Rebecca Ward – and their daughters Ren and Rata on acreage in Curramore. His off-the-grid completely solar powered workshop/studio has a full machine shop.
Russell has a reputation for high quality workmanship, visual aesthetics, strong lines, attention to detail, narrative, sense of whimsy, complexity and the balance of form and function.
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