Secret Landscapes by Clara Brack

Entering the liminal space of shared custody and societal tropes of the ‘broken family’, with a blend of poetry, with other forms. This new volume unravels the day-to-day reality of co-parenting, exploring the ways we stay afloat.

How do the secrets of the artist find their way into the making of the work? The author is the daughter of artists John Brack and Helen Maudsley. Her father is known for his iconic work Collins St 5pm. Her mother’s work is less well known. The author finds her own voice in flouting her mother’s rule that the private life of the artist is out of bounds. “Private is private. It is the work that counts.” Her father is a deeply troubled man. Her mother grapples with the conflict between being both the wife of an artist and an artist herself. The author explores how secrets of the family enter the artist’s work. How do we find our own voice? How do we confront the legacy of our parents?

She concludes with unexpected findings.

About the Author: Clara Brack was born in Melbourne, the first of four daughters of artists Helen Maudsley and John Brack. She taught in Technical Schools and then TAFE and wrote and took photographs, making books for family and friends. The Secret Landscapes is the result of over twenty years of writing releasing herself from inhibitions about releasing her story.

31 Mar 2026
 

The Secret Landscapes: On Not Pleasing Your Mother by Clara Brack ISBN 9781764239738