Lizzie Ault
Glass Eels, 2021, Giclee Print
10, Birdwood Road
European eels transform several times in their life. During the glass eel stage they make a great journey across the Atlantic Ocean and up the European rivers to become elvers and finally yellow eels. They live as yellow eels for around 30 years until they transform a final time to become silver eels. As silver eels they travel back to the sargasso sea to spawn and die. Eels are very much part of the history of Cambridgeshire. Ely cathedral was partly paid for in eels as they were plentiful enough to be used as currency. Sadly the European Eel is now critically endangered but much work is done locally to try and improve their numbers.
The art I make is all about my local area, the East Anglian Fens, the wildlife, the folklore, the history and how we connect with it. I don’t think we celebrate this area enough. It’s completely unique in this country and I have grown to love its subtle beauty. For me the magic is in the whole experience, the sound of the wind in the reeds and the different bird calls as well as the play of light and the sound of the water. There is a wealth of history and folklore here that fuels my creativity.