Rising Tide: Reflections of Surf Art and Culture

Aug 30

July 2 - August 13, 2022

Curated by Jon Baylor

Featuring:

Rafael Attias, Thomas Campbell, Kris Chatterson, Chris Coffin, Tom Deininger, Justin Frye, Willy Heeks, Chelsea Kinch, Janie Kinnane, Sam Malpass, Korey Nolan, Andrew Nota, Ara Peterson, Mimi Roterman, Will Simons, Daniel Stupar, Alex Weinstein, Ty Williams, Amelia Wilson

William Finnegan, the Pulitzer prize winning author of Barbarian Days, says, “I was reluctant to come out of the closet as a surfer.” For decades the media has portrayed this group as anti-intellectual, with Jeff Spicoli as the poster child.

Surfing was once considered counterculture, spawned by artists and beatniks of the 50’s and 60’s, which was then rebranded in the 70’s and 80’s to legitimize it as a sport to those far away from the ocean. Meanwhile, creative types have existed quietly on the fringes, where their passion for surfing has informed their artwork and approach to their particular medium.

Both activities engage the flow state, a state of unconscious competence.

The aim of this exhibition is to shed the lifestyle component and dig into the mental spaces that both surfing and art inhabit.