How we cite our quotes: (Section Break.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I mean, they just collect stuff. Dad collects other people's money and Mum collects people's drawings. What do they really do that's theirs?" (1.43)
There's something about buying other people's art without creating any of your own that comes across to Gemma—and us—as kind of shallow. And she hasn't even seen Ty's outbuilding art gallery yet.
Quote #2
I'd never seen a man cry before, only on TV. I'd never seen Dad close to crying. Those tears looked so odd on you. It was like the strength of you just seemed to sap away. The surprise of it stopped me being so scared. I took a deep breath and looked away. The walls were painted in large streaks of color. There were bits of plants, leaves, and sand stuck to them. (15.7)
The tears have more to do with Ty's emotional attachment to his art than anything else. It's interesting how his reaction shocks Gemma on a level that speaks to what she looks down on in her parents. Unlike her dad, Ty shows emotion, while he obviously cares about art on a level beyond just collecting and consuming it.
Quote #3
"You're sitting in my painting," you said at last. You leaned forward and touched a leaf. "I made all this." You moved your hand along the edge, stroking the sand. "There were patterns and shapes, made from the land.… " Your face went rigid and angry as you surveyed the damage I'd done. Eventually you shrugged, sighing as your shoulders dropped down. "But you created a different pattern, I guess.… In a way, it's almost better. You're part of it." (15.9)
It's funny how Gemma ruining the painting kind of becomes an object lesson for what Ty's trying to teach her about having a relationship with the land. He tells her later that she needs to see how she's part of the landscape. Here, she literally is.