Tom Carment Mara reading, in the kitchen at Mount Lofty

Tom Carment has known his subject – sound artist and composer Mara Schwerdtfeger – for most of her life.

‘She grew up around the corner, and our families picnicked and camped together. But it wasn’t until recently that I properly appreciated her thoughtful nature and quiet sense of humour,’ says Carment.

‘In May 2020, after returning from an arts residency in Iceland, she and her partner Zoe moved into an isolated stone house at Mount Lofty. My partner Jan and I saw them a lot during that winter as we were all new to Adelaide.

‘In July, I started some pictures on the theme of books and reading. Knowing that Mara reads constantly, I asked her to sit for me. This painting was done in one session on a drizzly winter morning in her kitchen. Mara read a book about mushrooms and the end of the world, and there was a mood of quiet concentration in the room.’

Carment is an artist and a writer. His book Womerah Lane: lives and landscapes was shortlisted in the 2021 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. He is also a finalist in this year’s Wynne Prize.