Surf art is

visual art The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile ar ...

about or related to the sport of surfing, waves, and the culture that surrounds beaches. There is a strong connection between

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

and

surf culture Surf culture includes the people, language, fashion, and lifestyle surrounding the sport of surfing. The history of surfing began with the ancient Polynesians. That initial culture directly influenced modern surfing, which began to flourish a ...

, which reaches back 3,000 years to

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, where some of the world's first historians carved

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s of surfers. The intersection of surf and art realms today, however, extends far beyond art documenting life. Both have stretched to encompass each other and the areas of

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in ...

and

commercialism Commercialism is the application of both manufacturing and consumption towards personal usage, or the practices, methods, aims, and distribution of products in a free market geared toward generating a profit. Commercialism can also refer, positive ...

. Art today incorporates

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

, advertisements and everyday items, and surfing is as much about clothes, attitude and punk music as it is hitting the waves.

Photography Photography is the visual art, art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It i ...

is a popular and influential medium of surf art. Imagery documents life, and in surfing terms, it encapsulates a passion, a sport, and a lifestyle. The main objective of surf photography is to not only enlighten the viewer of the pleasures of surfing, but also to demonstrate other facets of the life of a surfer.Gault-Williams, Malcolm. "Legendary Surfers: A Definitive History of Surfing's Culture and Heroes"
/ref> While many artists within the field of 'surf art' do not attach themselves to the specific moniker as creators of only surf related art. Other terms often used are 'ocean art', 'wave art', and 'art of the sea' among others. Variations of surf art as a subject matter can fall within other art styles such as impressionism, surrealism, abstract or realism. Among coastal communities around the world, surf art in any form is growing in popularity and price. In 2011, contemporary artist

Raymond Pettibon Raymond Pettibon (born Raymond Ginn, June 16, 1957) is an American artist who lives and works in New York City. Pettibon came to prominence in the early 1980s in the southern California punk rock scene, creating posters and album art mainly for ...

's work 'No Title (But the sand)' sold at

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is owned by Groupe Artémis, t ...

for USD $820,000. Surf art has manifested as cave drawings by old native Hawaiians along with

painters Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

surrealists Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

graphic designer A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for publishe ...

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s and

installation art Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often calle ...

ists. Many are surfers themselves. Surf art has spread from coastal areas to urban cities, such as New York, where surf culture and art exhibitions can now be found. Notable surf artists include Rick Griffin,

, Leroy Grannis,

John Van Hamersveld John Van Hamersveld (born September 1, 1941, Baltimore, Maryland, United States) is an American graphic artist and illustrator who designed record jackets for pop and psychedelic bands from the 1960s onward. Among the 300 albums are the covers of ...

, Kevin A Short, Drew Brophy, Ithaka Darin Pappas, Sean Davey, Zak Noyle, Jay Alders, and Aaron Chang.

Surf Graphics

The term “Surf Graphics” is used to describe the style of artwork associated with the subculture of surfing when applied to posters, flyers, T-shirts and logos. It is heavily influenced by skate art, Kustom Kulture and

tiki culture Tiki culture is an Visual art of the United States, American-originated art, Music of the United States, music, and entertainment movement inspired by Polynesians, Polynesian, Melanesians, Melanesian and Micronesians, Micronesian cultures. Inspir ...

Around the world

Australia

Surf art is popular in Australian culture, with fashion brands like Mambo and artists like

Reg Mombassa Christopher O'Doherty, also known by the pseudonym Reg Mombassa, is a New Zealand-born Australian artist and musician. He is a founding member of the band Mental As Anything and member of Dog Trumpet (alongside his brother Peter O'Doherty). Ea ...

playing key roles in popularising the genre. In South Australia, the annual

Onkaparinga Surf Art Exhibition The Onkaparinga Surf Art Exhibition is an annual group art exhibition held at The Arts Centre, Port Noarlunga, South Australia. The event celebrates surfing and coastal culture in the state, and launches with a party featuring live music and in som ...

shows for two months during Port Noarlunga's peak tourist season, and offers contributing artists a prize pool of AUD$2500 and the opportunity to sell their work.

Brazil

In Brazil, an artist and curator named Fernando Bari, who created in 2004 a unique website gathering surf artists around the world, have been searching for Brazilian artist who represents the beach culture. The meaning of the community is to share knowledge, mediums and spread the surf art in Brazil. The site also keeps and promotes art exhibitions, uniting artists and keep the community alive.

References

External links