The Sins of the Fathers 2017 Glover Prize

Having moved to Tasmania as a child, I was entranced by the unique and magnetic energy of the landscape. However, as I have learned of the brutal and destructive acts of history, towards both the indigenous population and to the thylacine, my eyes were opened and my perception altered.

My initial intention behind this piece was to express my own grief of these losses, creating an emotional landscape in response to the one in which I live. However, through the completion of this work, my perspective has again changed. Despite the loss and the destruction, I am able to more fully see the beauty of what remains, of the traditions that are still today being passed down from mother to daughter. It is my goal, to one day pass down the things I have learnt from history and from my own experiences to my children, so that they too can more fully appreciate the beauty and fragility of the landscape and understand the sacredness of the traditions of those who first dwelt here.
 
We cannot change the past, but we are accountable for the future. The sins of the fathers need not be our own, if we remember what was done, and ensure that those events are never repeated.