Jen Caldwell

My artistic inquiry has long been concerned with the transience of people moving through the land—shaping it, relying on it, and leaving traces behind. Having grown up on a sheep and cattle grazing farm in North Eastern Tasmania, near Musselroe Bay, I carry an enduring awareness of cleared landscapes and the complex realities they hold. Farming exists within fragile systems shaped by weather, markets, labour and regulation, yet it is sustained by deep, embodied care for place. The knowledge held by farmers is practical and generational, developed through long hours of physical and often uncertain work, and their role in sustaining both land and community is unquestionably vital. My own attachment to these landscapes is deeply rooted, and that closeness can sometimes blur the ability to see the land beyond personal memory and experience. Although we can all recognise a landscape that is thriving!

Tasmania often feels like a place caught between worlds: the introduced European pastoral ideal, with its deciduous trees and green fields, and the older native environment it displaced. While these colonial forms are often visually seductive and culturally familiar, they have also introduced invasive species and long term ecological challenges that continue to shape the landscape.

Learning about The Quoin through reports of scientific research and the Eastern Quoll breeding program reshaped this inquiry. Its concept of a ‘living lab’, where previously cleared land is reimagined as a site of regeneration, observation and healing, has profoundly influenced this body of work. The Quoin is owned and operated by Wedgetail Foundation, and collaborates with researchers, educators and community groups to support research, learning and long-term ecological regeneration.. This aim for best practice and appreciation of regeneration being a slow process, make it a very rare and important entity. I feel privileged to observe the conservation work happening on this land. These drawings and paintings reflect hope for sustainable futures—where conservation science, long term care and patience can restore biodiversity, rebalance ecosystems, and foster more resilient relationships between people and the land.