feel good
From the Titanic submersible to heavy machinery, Anchovy Flats' unique sculpture display is a labour of love
Rodney Morris has 15 art pieces on the salt flats along Dampier Highway, including this new one of an excavator. (ABC Pilbara: Alex Govan)
In short:
The Dampier Highway salt flats are a common place for locals in Karratha and Dampier to display art and sculptures.
Often these pieces are representative of pop culture, local community jokes, as well as tributes to sporting winners.
What's next?
Destruction and disrepair of artwork due to cyclonic weather is prompting some locals to renew calls for an art competition to revitalise the area.
Standing barefoot in ankle-deep water, design and technology teacher Rodney Morris sets up a new art sculpture on the salt flats along the Dampier Highway.
Police and truck drivers give honks from their horns as they pass by, a token of appreciation for his work, which sits on the outskirts of Karratha, 1,500km north of Perth.
Meanwhile, other drivers from the community crane their necks to see the latest instalment.
Rodney Morris assembles an art piece four years in the making at the salt flats between Karratha and Dampier. (ABC Pilbara: Alex Govan)
The area, nicknamed Anchovy Flats by locals due to its high salt content, is now home to a repository of community-curated artworks including film and TV characters, representations of community in-jokes, and mental health signs.
Some pieces reflect moments of international news and pop culture events — such as a Titanic sculpture which almost immediately had a Titan submersible sculpture added next to it following the implosion incident mid-2023.
Other pieces are also adapted and changed annually to celebrate the reigning premiers in local football.
Sculptures and artwork on the salt flats are often made to showcase news events on a local and international scale. (ABC Pilbara: Alex Govan)
Mr Morris' new excavator piece is his 15th "creature" project along the six-kilometre stretch of highway connecting Karratha and Dampier.
"[I do it to] give drivers and tourists that go past every day something different to look at on the boring stretch of Anchovy Flats," Mr Morris said.
His other pieces include Pacman, characters from The Simpsons and South Park, as well as Donald Duck, Daffy Duck, and Bugs Bunny.
His latest artwork is four years in the making and he says it is a tribute to a piece of local history.
"It was not long after Cyclone Damian, there was some workers who came out here to do some repairs and so forth and one of the drivers of an excavator dug a hole," he said.
"Unfortunately from my memory [he] hit a water pipe and sunk his excavator.
"It's a bit of history for the locals. People who have been here more than four years will know what it's about."
A range of artworks stand in the water at the salt flats. (ABC Pilbara: Alex Govan)
Mr Morris has lived in Karratha since 2015 and has been making "creatures" for the salt flats for the last eight years.
A lot of the artwork contributors also remain anonymous, despite pieces being displayed there for almost three decades.
Damage and disrepair
Despite the large number of artworks, many have been damaged or completely destroyed over the years by the salt water and harsh weather.
Some of Mr Morris' pieces have withstood four cyclones, but others are unrecognisable.
Many of Mr Morris' projects have survived through cyclones, however others haven't been so lucky. (ABC Pilbara: Alex Govan)
He is now renewing calls for a local competition to encourage new and vibrant artwork.
"Having a little competition for the funniest [piece] or something out there once a year could be good," he said.
Discussions surrounding a competition have surfaced in the past, but have never taken off.
An art competition for the salt flats could see more pieces stood next to Mr Morris' new piece. (ABC Pilbara: Alex Govan)
Paris James has lived in Karratha for nearly 20 years.
She said the area is in need of some tender love and care, and is key to the Karratha and Dampier culture.
"It's always been a little bit of Karratha culture and community to have art displayed out there," she said.
"I do love the idea of sculptures on the salt [and] comparing that to sculptures by the sea."
"I think it's something that could be a really awesome community-involved project."