Grant Pitchford

It is with great pleasure that I submit these photographs and video of Flinders Island, taken by my late husband Grant Pitchford. Grant helped write the initial funding application for the Inter Island Arts Exchange and the Strait Across exhibitions and was a great supporter of the project. He believed there should be recognition for the artists who live in such isolation.

Grant attended the Art School in Launceston in the 70's and then moved into the film and television industry when he took up a job at Channel 9. Whilst there Grant learnt all aspects of film and TV. He moved into advertising in Hobart in the early 80's, and in 1987 moved to Melbourne where he had his own successful film and TV production company.

Disenfranchised with city life and keen to live more simply, Grant bought a farm on his beloved Flinders Island in 2000, and moved there permanently in late 2003. Grant's passion for the island and its people was legendary; he had great intentions of writing and of capturing the beauty of the island. Sadly he died of a heart attack in July 2005. His legacy lives on in his wonderful images of the island, which reflect his love for the place and its varied weather, moods and light.

After years of film making, advertising and living in a big city, Grant was on a journey to live more simply and to take time to reflect and develop his more creative senses and to capture the essence of the island. He loved the light on Flinders Island and often said this luminance was due to the bounce of light from the sea and reflected in the clear skies of the island. He was working with light and colour and composition. He was passionate about Flinders Island, its people, and its sense of islandness.

Liz Frankham, (widow)