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Tasmanian Literary Awards

The Voice of Water by Adrienne Eberhard, artwork by Sue Lovegrove (Sue Lovegrove and Adrienne Eberhard)

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The Voice of Water

This collection of miniature paintings and poems seeks to reveal the fragility and fleeting nature of life in a lagoon - the embrace of its reaches, the constantly shifting light patterns, its melancholy darkness and the movement of wind imprinting on both water and the feathery expanse of grasses. It also seeks to capture the soundtrack of place, from frog call and scratching insect legs to the tapping of grasses, and the calligraphy of reeds and sedges. In our increasingly climate-stressed environment, water is becoming more ephemeral and transient. Over the life of the project, the water levels in the wetlands visited altered considerably, changing from deep and life-sustaining, to shallow and dried out. The preciousness of these places, their richness, fecundity and the life they support, is because of the presence of water.

About the author

Adrienne Eberhard’s poetry focuses on place, nature and love, and in particular, the ways in which places shape people. The author of four other collections of poetry, her poems have been widely anthologised, most recently in Fishing for Lightning (UQP, 2021). Her work has been recorded for radio, set to music, translated into French, and presented as calligraphy. Agamemnon’s Poppies (Black Pepper, 2003) was awarded second place in the Anne Elder Prize and This Woman (Black Pepper, 2011) was shortlisted for the 2013 Tasmania Book Prize.

About the artist

Sue Lovegrove’s artwork reflects her passion for the wild and remote landscapes of south west Tasmania, where she has spent significant periods of time. In her work she investigates the intersections between land, air and water through close observation and sensory perception. Sue has held over 30 solo exhibitions throughout Australia and her work is in numerous private and public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. In 2020 she won the Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize for landscape.