As I sit here in my studio with a decent hangover, it’s hard not to feel amazing, even with a dusty demeanour. Yesterday’s open studio surpassed every prediction I had cultivated in my busy, anxious mind leading up to the event. I hadn’t allowed myself to feel nervousness about the work I had curated in this room — work built on pure intuition and love.
There had been no doubt people would enjoy what I had poured my heart and soul into. But it was the unknown that stirred my anxiety, and that, in itself, is the very heart and soul of why this project began: the unknown desire lines — the path not yet clear, the path we walk to find clarity in a world that feels like a constant game of smoke and mirrors.
We must make our own way, and that way must be forged to live a life that gives us meaning, connection, and depth — an authentic life with more value than the capitalist rat wheel, which, in my opinion, has spun out of control, leaving us at the mercy of its speed and reckless momentum.
I felt all of this as I prepared to open my doors yesterday, but the moment people quietly stepped through Studio Door 5, I forgot about my worldly worries. All that existed was this space, the people who made this project possible, and, like magic, the sun at its peak shone its maximum through the barred windows of the old mental asylum that is Fremantle Arts Centre. We felt a powerful energy being exchanged within this tiny room.
Then came a monumental moment of courage. A man, eyes welling, said, “I’m just a nobody — why me?” I looked at him and thought, we are all nobodies, but together we are something worth celebrating. Nobodies don’t walk up two flights of stairs with no bloody legs.
As the sun set, the full moon replaced it. With its pull on the tides, it illuminated the space as more and more beautiful people arrived — some I knew, some I didn’t, all becoming new friends who I can see great futures with. My great love arrived with the gorgeous wine that allowed me to sit with my treasured, wise women and simply enjoy each other’s company — to laugh and to cry. Eventually, the time came to switch off the fairy lights and finish the last of the surprisingly sweet wine. After the final hugs and goodbyes, I took my great love’s hand, thanked him, and asked him to take me home.
So what now? Well, I’ll be here if you need me, and if you want to see what we have all created. I will continue to follow my heart and passion for as long as I can, because that’s all we truly have in a world that sometimes feels like it’s slipping through our very hands.
Thank you to.
Marianne Catherine Faith,Kezia,Rebecca Barnett,Em Hatton,Luis,Benjamin John Ure,El Mauger,Rachel Noble,Mark,Rika Jammer,Zofia,Ely bassett,Thomas Knowles,Gary Hayes,Jesse,Alexis Brajkovich,Jason Weymouth,Cat,Juliette Gillies.
Boris,Brooklyn,Pug,Jody,Kate,Aiden.Amuk
Words By me – Marilyn Tuna 6/12/2025
Desire Lines – Viewing Appointment
Book your private viewing of Desire Lines, a community-driven photographic project exploring visible and invisible disability, resilience and identity. Each session offers quiet time to experience the work and ask questions about the stories behind the images. Please arrive on time and allow space for others booked after you.
Booking link below
https://calendar.app.google/6ppwmy616ocyJkj4A
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