Coastal- If Not Here, Then Where?
01/06/2023
Coastal- If Not Here, Then Where? in Fremantle, Perth, WA.
A deep dive into the lifeline that the WA fisher shacks give people and the identity these shelters take on. Adorning the remote coastline of WA in the midwest region are numerous shacks. The use of the shacks is often the center of controversy as the living arrangements are an entitlement of a professional fishing license.
The “Camps” are restricted to areas where people are licensed to fish, the land is mostly a national park or nature reserve. Over time fewer and fewer professionals are using these shacks and local councils have been stirred to remove them, but they have often been met with local pushback from community associations on heritage grounds. So the shacks and their people have become icons of a traditional and unique lifestyle. The series depicts some of the characters that use the “Camps” and shows their connection to their dwelling and how they influence each other.
The images address how people have constructed, furnished, and made livable spaces by the coast. How they have influenced their surroundings to accommodate their lifestyle, and how their environment has influenced them. All the camps are totally off the grid and have a high level of sustainability. The effort put into their creation often spans over lifetimes, anchoring people’s identity. To see them as temporary can be heartbreaking. If they can’t live here, then where?
The Exhibition was held as part of a Common Folk Group Exhibition during the Foto Freo Festival and PS in Fremantle.