The Thousands

Perth is sure as hell not short of dank outer suburban wastelands. Midland, Rockingham…hell, some of our suburbs are so muddy we call them stuff like Dogswamp, or name them after toilets.

The title of Coastal Shelf’s latest art display, Swamp Thing, is an exhibition that celebrates, in artist Jamie Macchisui’s words, those who "carve [themselves] a happy niche out of what most people see as a dank wasteland." For me, the title Swamp Thing unavoidably brought to mind a comic book character I’d never read and a Wes Craven film I’d never seen. However, such intertextual connections are not far-fetched, they being the inspirations for Macchiusi and collaborator Gemma Weston, both major fans of…well…creepy shit."The Swamp Thing is a backwater creature," says Macchisui. "It’s lurking in stagnant pools… Most people think it’s frightening, but it’s mainly just misunderstood."

First hand encounters with "The Swamp Thing" are rare, but head to the murky waters of Coastal Shelf tomorrow night for potential sightings, which will be captured in a postcard zine of the event. Sure to be distributed in all good dank wastelands.