Art of surfing

Suzie Harrison

The Laguna Art Museum’s new exhibit is perfect for the season.

Artists from the beginning of the surf culture to now have captured

their love of the sport in a variety of mediums.

Some of their work will appear in Surf Culture: The Art history of

Surfing through Oct. 6.

“It may be the most comprehensive look at surfing ever. It’s not

just an exhibit, it is a whole series of events that are happening

the entire summer to the last day,” said Stuart Byer public relations

director.

The exhibit is a compendium of art and surfing, in particular the

works of artists who are surfers and the influence art has had on

surfing and vice versa.

“Just about every artist in the show has a deep commitment to

being an artist and a surfer, which is important to the show,” said

Tyler Stallings, guest curator.

Surf Culture: The Art History of Surfing is the follow up exhibit

to Laguna Art Museum’s 1993 Kustom Kulture, which covered the car

culture, together these exhibits cover Southern California’s most

prevalent subcultural influences from the 1920s to today.

The exhibit will trace its origins where the first novelty items

of surfing began with the Hawaiian tourist industry in the 20s and

30s with souvenirs, surf-rider statuettes and surfboards.

The bold world of sports-related graphics brought change in the

1950s when an array of attention-grabbing logos and shapes were born.

In the 1960s political events, surfing and art meshed.

Also, Southern California surfers were exploring fiberglass and

synthetic boards. With the defense industry producing more plastics,

surfers were able to use the technology to make boards that were

lighter and stronger.

The end of the hippie era in the 70s also brought about the true

shaping of the boards that made it possible to surf at peak levels.

Stallings brings to the museum artifacts from the 1980s to the

present.

The works are examples of the fine art aspect and delve into

surfing as a metaphor.

The growing cynicism and the multi-culturalism throughout the

years allowed for a new way of looking at the surf culture.

“Simon Leung is an artist interested in this idea ... as surfing

used as a form of diplomacy and tensions between the US and Vietnam,”

Stallings said.

In the 90s artist Sandow Birk re-created historical art such as

replacing George Washington as he crossed the Delaware River with a

surf figure.

Some artists touch on how surfing has changed from a subculture

to a popular trend.

Accompanying the exhibit there are seminars and films once or

twice a week throughout the show.

At 11 a.m. on July 28 as part of the ongoing lecture series, The

Origins of Surfing will be presented by Ben Finney and Glenn Hening

at the museum.

Contemporary surf cinema will be on Thursdays with this week’s

presentation of the Taylor Knox Story. All films on Thursday evenings

are at 7 p.m. at Laguna South Coast Cinema. Tickets are $10.

Hawaiian cultural day, which is associated with the museum, will

be at the Festival of the Arts grounds from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on

Aug. 3. Laguna locals get in free with proper identification.

Information: (949) 494-1145.

The Laguna Art Museum is at 307 Cliff Drive. Information: (949)

494-8971 or www.lagunaartmuseum.org.

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321.