Sirens

(c) Liz Cockrum

Via the marvellous Shakas and Singlefins I came across Liz Cockrum who has combined her passion for photography and surfing to capture the images of different generations of female surfers. Through a series of landscape, portrait and detail images Liz records the past, present and future of women as individuals in surfing.

Here's her own take on the Sirens collection.

The sport of surfing extends beyond wave riding and casual afternoons at the beach. Surfing is a lifestyle and a culture, rich with traditions that span continents and generations. Women have played a role in the progression of surfing since its birth in Hawaii centuries ago, but recent decades have seen a great shift in their place within the sport. As surfing rose to popularity on the mainland United States in the 1950’s, women were largely viewed as beach bunnies, rather than athletes. Through their athleticism, creativity and positive contributions to surf culture, female surfers have changed that perception and are now accepted as respected and influential members of the surf community.

The surfers I have photographed are full of passion and determination, but participate in the surf world without the dominating ego that has been prevalent in this culture for decades. Some of these women are professional surfers known around the globe, while others have only recently “caught the bug” and are still very much beginners. Regardless of their skill level, each of these women demonstrates a mindset focused on ideals that are uncommon in an all-male line-up.

My intention with this body of work is to celebrate the courageous and innovative females who are pioneering this shift towards a more positive, open surf culture. These images speak to broader ideas related to women in modern society, the power of determination and sub-cultures within a larger community. Through portraits, landscapes and details I want to explore a little-seen side of surfing, and focus the viewer’s attention on the individuals who are an integral part of a unique culture.

Sam Robinson Photography

(C) Sam Robinson

Earlier this week I got mailed a heap of photos by Sam Robinson and this one I fell in love with and thought i'd share.

The Happening in the UK

The Happening at Village Underground

This week I was lucky enough to check at The Happening in both London and Cornwall. On Tuesday night the show rolled into Village Underground, Shoreditch. The venue was great and it was a nice sunny evening which is always a bonus. The brick, arched interior provided an atmospheric backdrop and the rooftop terrace, scattered with reconditioned tube carriages, was set up by the Roxy crew with promotional posters and clothing.

Photography by Joe Curren

With art from established names such as Andy Davis, Thomas Campbell, Harry Daily and David Lloyd, photography from Joe Curren and Ryan Heywood, films from Woodshed productions and music from Mason Jennings, Neil Halstead, Zach Gill and G Love it really was a rare treat.

Zach Gill

However, it was a disappointment that there weren't more artists on hand to talk about their artwork and inject some real life into the fantastic array of pictures and films that the event its supposed to represent. In their absence, which was partly due to the artists having to fund their own travel, there was no information available on the art which left the focus firmly on the music and film. It was also a shame that so many people who should have known about the show well in advance saw it completely pass them by. Tickets were available on the door and there was plenty of room inside. This wasn't through a lack of interest, but largely because the marketing for this event was pretty low key and communications virtually non-existant.

The tube carriages

Fast forward three days to a windswept, sodden Gwithian and The Happening had arrived in Cornwall. The weather outside had no impact on the jubilant mood inside and the Sandsifter was packed the rafters with a tent out the front to host the musicians who included Mason Jennings, Neil Halstead, Matt Costa and G Love.

Matt Costa

The vibe was really friendly and although the art was a bit crammed in it felt very at home in its location. It was a bonus to meet Mike Fordham, man behind September and the Book of Surfing, and chat with Helen Gilchrest about her plans for Stranger magazine. There weren't any pieces from Wolfgang Bloch or Andrew Kidman but it was good to see local artists such as Ben Cooke represented.

Harry Daily

I had pretty high expectations for the Happening and although I certainly wasn't disappointed I would have liked to have seen more focus on the artwork. Cornwall hosts gigs all the time but the opportunity to see art from some of the most recognised surf artists of our time is much rarer. The concept is genius and lets hope they come back even bigger and better next year.

Three Exhibition at LCB

(C) Kate Czuczman

Opening on 25 June, the LCB surf shop in London's Brick Lane will host an exhibition of surf photography by three of the UK's top female foam snappers. Lucia Griggi, Kate Czuczman and Mel Enright met through shared friends and projects whilst surfing. Bonded by their desire to travel and surf and a love for one another's work they have collaborated on this exhibition that contrasts their different photographic journeys through a shared surfing experience.

Each of the three photographers will display their own distinctive style and medium to document the same surf subject matter, demonstrating how the one location can be seen in such contrast through different eyes.

Lucia is one of the very few female professional surf photographers in the UK and her work regualrly graves the pages of all the main British surfing magazines. Lucia takes pictures that capture "different facets of the surfing lifestyle" and this exhibition will also feature some of her images laminated onto surfboards and 'other' objects. Kate founded the surf travel company Big Friday with whom she has travelled around the world. Along the way she picked up an insatiable thirst for old skool cameras and different film formats. Mel first started documenting her travels on a six-month surfing sabbatical five years ago and is most interested in the powerful natural beauty of the surfing sea, landscape and people; the play of light, bold colour and pattern.

The show runs from 25 June through to 14 August www.lcbsurfstore.com

UK dates for The Happening

The Happening Live has added an extra date to its world tour. Arriving in London on 1 July the first show takes place at The Village Underground in Shoreditch then rolls into Cornwall on the 4 July for another evening at The Sandsifter in Godrevy, Cornwall. Tickets are available through See for £18 for the Cornwall night and £16 for the London gig. Can't wait...

Roxy posted a new video from the Tokyo event on YouTube... Check it out.

Maggie Marsek Exhibition

Another event I would love to go and see. Maggie has some fantastic pictures on her website, I really like the first image on her homepage. You can order prints from her direct but I bet there are some sweet new images at her solo show down at Shelter Surf Shop which opens 31 May. Hopefully someone will post some photos then.

Talking of posting exhibition images, Ryan Tatar rocked down to The Surf Gallery to see the current Long Live Love exhibition... if you like the art of Andy Davis and Tyler Warren you should take a look.

Happening in Cornwall

I was a little overexcited to discover that this year The Happening is coming to Cornwall. The event will feature a select group of artists and photographers exhibiting work based in contemporary beach and street cultures followed by acoustic music performances by Matt Costa, Will Conner, Andrew Kidman & more.

As well as an unmissable opportunity to view original works of art by such some of the biggest names in the creative surf world such as Wolfgang Bloch, Jenny Bowers, Thomas Campbell, Jeff Canham, Joe Curren, Andy Davis, Harry Daily, Andrew Kidman, Alex Knost and Alex Kopps, to name but a few, the musical line up is great too.

I first saw Matt Costa perform live at a Jack Johnson concert in 2006 and was lucky enough to catch him again at his intimate Shepherds Bush Hall gig. The new album builds on his captivating debut and makes a perfect soundtrack to the exhibition.

Helping to raise money for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as well as a number of other non-profit organisations, The Happening is a collaboration between Brushfire Records, The Surf Gallery and Woodshed Films, the creators of The Moonshine Festival. The first event took place at Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, Calif. in January 2007, followed by a second show at Milk Gallery in New York City.

This is the first time The Happening has travelled outside of the USA and the stop in Cornwall on 4 July is the third location on a world tour that has already taken in Bondi Beach and will also visit Tokyo, Paris, New York and San Francisco. Timed to take place during the same week as Jack Johnson's Watergate Bay gigs on the 5 an 6 July I wouldn't be surprised if Jack makes an appearance on stage as he did earlier this month in Australia.

Having seen the video that was uploaded to the event website late last week www.thehappeninglive.com and also on YouTube I can't wait to be a part of it when it visits Newquay this summer.

Club of The Waves

Early on in my explorations I came across the Club Of The Waves website www.clubofthewaves.com. This virtual surf club is home to a seriously talented collection of surfers, surf artists and photographers from every corner of the world. There is a great list of profiled artists and photographers, the largest I have so far found on the internet. You can also read articles on the history of surfing, its pioneers and heroes and the culture associated with the sport.

The website profiles over 100 different artists and has some amazing images that I whiled away a few hours browsing. Artists on the site that caught my eye include Cornish artist Lamorna Penrose, American, David Bogart from New Jersey, Celine Chat from France and Calfornian painter Jeff Yeomans to name but a few. There are some articles written by artists such as Spencer Reynolds as well as interviews with Ron Croci and Wolfgang Bloch.

In addition to being a goldmine of info with links to various artist homepages it also has a forum section. The topic 'what is surf art' interested me most. Can non-surfers be good surf artists? Can people who don't surf have a true appreciation for surf art? Why are the majority of paintings depicted from the perspective of the observer on the shore rather than the surfer? It set me thinking. What makes good surf art? For me, it has to convey the emotion, whether that be joy, exhiliration, awe, anticipation or elated exhaustion. A picture that transports you into the moment, one that conjures up the smell of the saltwater and and feel of the sea breeze.

Here's to finding as much of it as I can.

Paddling Out

So here they are... the first words of the first post of my first ever blog. This is a blog about surf culture - art, photography, literature, music and lifestyle. What qualifies me to write on the subject - nothing in particular. The coast, the beach, the sea and the waves have always been a big part of my life and although I can't claim to be a surfer (of any talent or dedication whatsoever) I continue to be endlessly fascinated by the sport and I have experienced the thrill of it, the joy you get from it, I understand the passion people have for it and the neverending adventure there is to be had on the journey to find the 'perfect' wave.

I first became introduced to the term 'surf culture' whilst working at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth. In 2005 the museum hosted the largest ever dedicated surfing exhibition in the UK. Displaying boards, wetsuits, posters, films, photographs and artwork it was an impressive collection of memorabilia and was the starting point for my desire to learn more about the history of the sport, the personalities who have become important along the way and how it has spread in popularity around the world.

This is a blog about the culture surrounding the sport, its purpose is to document events, festivals, exhibitions, books, other blogs, artists, musicians, surfers, manufacturers and retailers that interest me and inspire me and reflect the love I have for the sport of surfing and the coast. So this is me, paddling out into the unknown, starting to discover more about surfing and to uncover just a few of the talented artists and individuals whose life is ruled by the waves.