By Meg Anderson

FAC’s artist residency programme has welcomed place-based researcher, writer
and community artist Grant Revell, who will be set up in studio 3 for the next 12 months planning
and coordinating his upcoming community project “The Loving Place – Loving Walyalup –
Fremantle Project”.

“I’m an urban planner and landscape architect by trade,” Grant said, “and I’ve always considered
that work to be an artistic practice. I’m very interested in spatial knowledge and the way that
communities build and nurture that spatial knowledge as ordinary or extraordinary places. Particularly in the way that we look after the character of neighbourhoods and their communities.

I think we all know that Fremantle is a special place. A special place that for many is now at the
crossroads of uncertainty and despair as it chooses to expand and develop its waterfront and
surrounding landscapes.”

He explained that The Loving Place Project is aimed at establishing and understanding a sense of
place here in Walyalup-Fremantle. The initiative invites Fremantle residents and visitors to share
their appreciation and personal connection to Walyalup-Fremantle by gifting a favourite photograph
or story relating to particular places in the City of Fremantle.

The content will be collected and curated by Grant and then exhibited through an online ‘sanctuary
archive’ that will be available to the public. In particular, Grant hopes the digital archive will be
used by residents, students, developers, planners, artists and architects who are passionate about
understanding and preserving the inherent and dynamic qualities of Walyalup -Fremantle.

Grant explained that there are no set rules or boundaries to this project, and he hopes that the
digital archive will portray the quirkiness, grit, funkiness and diversity that is Walyalup-Fremantle.
“If someone popped by the studio and handed me an old napkin, or a photograph with some scribbles about loving Freo
on it, I’d be thrilled!”, he said. Of course, not everyone loves Walyalup-Fremantle, and those contributions will also be important.

Grant has invited a variety of local, established artists and writers to also take part in the project, and at the end of the residency he plans to host an interactive public exhibition with photographs, stories and guest speakers – as an important opportunity to play-back the project to the community.

“I hope I can create a very safe space where everyone feels welcomed and attracted to the aims
of the project,” Grant said, “especially from all walks of life in Walyalup-Fremantle”. And yes, the enviable character of Walyalup-Fremantle is worth saving.

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By Meg Anderson

FAC is proud to announce that our very own Exhibitions and Engagement Coordinator, Emma Buswell, has recently sold her unique and captivating textile-based piece “Between the Draft and Final Intention”.

The 2.6×1.65m knitted work sold within a week of being exhibited at Perth’s Sweet Pea Art Gallery this April.

Emma has a very distinct and engaging style, working with Australian yarns and fibres to introduce themes and concepts throughout her work.

“I grew up learning how to knit with my mum and grandma,” she said, “and I fell in love with creating images with the yarn, I like how each stitch becomes a tiny part of a wider image. And I find the process very meditative.”

Emma explained that this piece was inspired by a recent discovery about the way her brain operates and how that affects her work.

“Earlier this year I found out that I have Aphantasia, which is an inability to see images in your head,” she said.

“A lot of my work is based off appropriates and adaptations, or collages of things as a way of reconciling my understanding of the world. And I’ve begun to understand that maybe the reason I make work this way is because of the way that I think.”

Emma has been a valued member of the FAC team since 2017, working initially as a coordinator for the annual Fremantle Print Award before transitioning into the Exhibitions and Engagement role in 2022.

Emma’s favourite part about her role is working with young artists and inviting emerging voices into art spaces. She understands first hand how difficult it can be for prospective artists to expand the impact of their work following initial recognition, and has become very passionate about creating a supportive framework that will guide emerging artists through this daunting process.

Emma is eager to generate and implement this kind of support through her work at FAC, providing step by step guidance for up-and-coming artists on their journey into the professional art scene. She’s also excited to continue with her personal work, and is already busy with a new project for an upcoming event.

Find Emma on Instagram here: @embuzza1