• Visiting landscaper and artist Michael Cox admires the sketch outline of South Beach kiosk’s new mural: “I like the concept of the piece of art, that it’s the mother of the ocean and all the sea creatures going against the human machines that’s there to destroy it.” Photo by Matthew Dwyer
SOUTH BEACH’S scungy dunnies are undergoing a sea change.
Local collective Artists Anonymous is covering the walls with a bright sea-themed mural, which member Lady Bananas says is a gift to the Fremantle community.
Ms Bananas says it’s part of the Visiting landscaper and artist Michael Cox admires the sketch outline of South Beach kiosk’s new mural: “I like the concept of the piece of art, that it’s the mother of the ocean and all the sea creatures going against the human machines that’s there to destroy it.” Photo by Matthew Dwyerbrief of promoting the positive side of graffiti art, which is often linked in people’s mind to illegal tagging.
“From day one the public response has been fantastic… people think it’s already finished and it’s only one colour,” she says. “That’s like doing a pencil outline, so it’ll be a lot more colourful when it’s finished.
“I think they like it that we are doing it for the community, and because we’re donating it, it takes away a lot of the judgement that people can have about this type of art if the council has paid for it. Sometimes they can think ‘that’s a waste of our rates’,” Ms Bananas says.
AA also mentors young people, which she says helps combat tagging by pushing kids in the right direction. Off their own bat they’ve engaged Scottish urban artist Scott Lister, who’s done a number of youth projects. A 12-year veteran of the urban art movement, Ms Bananas worked for several years mentoring youth in Gosnells and Armadale and says several of her charges have now gone on to artistic careers or are involved in mentoring.
“A while ago I was working on a private mural, and this guy come up to me who was a kid about 15/16 when I was working with him, and he said, ‘thanks for changing my life—I could have been in gaol’.
“That makes you realise that what you’re doing really does make a difference.”
She says the group sought permission from Fremantle council before taking to the walls with spray cans, and she’s been working with its arts department to streamline its new graffiti art policy. AA established itself as Fremantle’s first urban art collective last year and has worked on the Woolstories project and the bright wall on the corner of Wray Avenue and Attfield Street.
by STEVE GRANT