Listen to the audio description of the artwork
About the artwork
Listen to the artist statement for The Water Spirit
When I’m in the water, I feel free. My body moves how it wants to - floating, twisting, gliding. The water lifts me up and listens. It feels like the place where I can truly be myself. The Water Spirit is that feeling in a painting - the deep breath, the calm, the power.
My first big project was Let Me Dry Your Tears, where I played a whale who could only meet his bird friend at the surface of the sea. This painting carries that same story -friendship, movement, and the water that sets my spirit free.
About the artist - Dave Montgomery
David has been part of Second Echo Ensemble since its inception in 2005, performing in works like Gorilla’s Downfall, Outside Boy, Contested Land, and The Beauty Project. He has toured extensively across Tasmania, Australia, and New Zealand, performing at festivals including Awakenings, Undercover Artist, You Are Here, and Tempo Dance Festival. His artwork is featured in the City of Hobart Signal Box Project.
A passionate drummer, David is also the Lead Artist for The Adventures of Peacock, Chicken and the Pony they Rode Upon, premiering in 2025 at the Sydney Opera House. David did all the drawings that made the show- the characters, the costumes and the projections. The performance started with him drawing live on stage and set the magic off that carried the show.