Zoe Amor Converges Nature, Art and Culture

The light coming through the window early on a summer morning is pearlescent with that hint of violet we see later in the heat of the day. Watering the garden for an hour or two, pumping up from the dam below our house, we notice how much lower it is this year than last. From the bedroom I see reflections of sky and clouds through the Sheoak fronds and hope to capture them somehow in a painting or drawing.

In the mail was the Gippsland Art Gallery publication with a terrific article by Director Simon Gregg - J.M.W. Turner – The Lost Antipodean. I’m excited that the drawing above (it was blown into the dam) is one of three chosen for representation in Turner & Australia at the Gippsland Art Gallery 7 June – 24 August 2025. Simon is a wonderful writer/curator and this exhibition will be such a great opportunity to see works by Turner alongside contemporary artists I admire such as Sophia Szilagyi, whose monumental work Evening Waves is in the Gippsland Art Gallery Collection.

I’ve just attended the launch of Brenda Niall’s biography of Joan Lindsay ~ The hidden life of the woman who wrote Picnic at Hanging Rock. It is a beautifully written, intimate portrait of Joan and a fascinating reveal of Australian culture from before the turn of the century til now. The chapters on Mulberry Hill include recollections from my family who lived there from just before I was born until Joan died in 1984.

Growing up at Mulberry Hill gave me a love for mysterious gardens and respect for the intuitive and practical knowledge that go into creating them. Watching Monty Don’s Gardens of Spain; I’ve been admiring how Islamic design balances all the precious elements with water, light and geometry. From the 4th - 11th century, Moorish architecture and gardens were a revelation for travellers, symbolizing a spirit of harmonious coexistence and collaboration between diverse cultures. Water was valued as the essence of life and many beautiful patterns and colours were created to represent it. I have been looking at these and images from artworks, films, books and photos of Greece, Pompeii and Sicily in preparation for travels later in the year.