Forty South Tasmania Magazine - Issue 94

In this issue

Not for the first time, landscape is the main theme of an issue of Tasmania 40°South. It is the first time, however, that we have had three distinct perspectives on the Arcadian environment we call home. Max Müller, the 19th century British-German philologist, said, “While the river of life glides along smoothly, it remains the same river; only the landscape on either bank seems to change.” When I read this issue’s lead story, "Connection" by Peter Grant, I see his life as a river and I see his family as his personal changing landscape. In this beautiful piece, Grant writes about introducing a third generation of his family to Tasmanian landscapes. Jacques Lecoq, the 20th century French mime artist and teacher, said, “By walking a long time in an environment, landscapes begin to influence your mood. As landscapes change, your feelings change.” Steve Roden has walked a long time in the Tasmanian landscape, but it was initially difficult walking. Roden was already an experienced photographer when he moved from the UK to Tasmania in 1976, but he was unprepared by what happened next. His "Portfolio" in this issue shows us his beautiful landscapes. His words show us what a difference a hemisphere makes. Ansel Adams, the early 20th century American photographer, said, “Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer – and often the supreme disappointment.” These are words which will resonate with Matt Palmer, the young Tasmanian photographer who in August was named 2019 Australian Professional Photographer of the Year. For him, it wasn’t the disappointment of a poor technical performance, but the supreme disappointment of seeing so much of the Tasmanian landscape burn in the devastating fires of the 2018-19 summer. How hard must it have been for a lover of landscape, and a passionate environmentalist, to photograph its blackened corpse? Palmer said, “Landscape photographers have a responsibility to tell stories of the changing world.” (see "Parting Shot")