Surfing Art
As part of the alternative movement which began in the 1960s we owe much to that surfer of the Zuvuya, Dr Timothy Leary. Here are a few words from him in an interview from Surfer magazine (January 1978): "Its perfectly logical to me that surfing is the spiritual aesthetic style of the liberated self, and that's the model for the future".
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48" x 60" (122 x 152cm) / Oil and Tempera on Canvas
After 37 years of surfing the planets oceans and thousands of increasingly intimate contacts with the Sirians (Dolphins) I continue to be amazed by, in awe of, and opened to a deep reverence for these original and awesome soul surfers.
For me they are the teachers of love, joy, play fullness, curiosity, group consciousness, the sacredness of life, courage, flow and the pure beauty and mystery of the divine creation.
What unfolded during the first contact with these beings at South Golden Beach (near Byron Bay) upon completion of this painting is beyond anything I could put into words and would stretch most people's credibility and faith beyond anything they could presently conceive of.
To attempt to convey to you this experience would only detract from the sacredness which occurred within that infinite and eternal time frame.
39" x 58" (99 x 147cm) / Pen and Ink on Paper
Having grown up on the eastern seaboard of Australia, I was naturally subjected to the energies of both traditional land based Aboriginal culture as well as the influence of Polynesian culture in the form of surfing. Therefore, unlike those in inland and outback Australia, I felt the influence upon the arrival of new forms of culture in the form of all things related to Oceania. This painting was intended to symbolise my particular slant on the Australian way of life as viewed from a surfer's perspective as it is intended to be the view from inside the heart of a wave. The wave also tied in with the local Aboriginal tribal belief that all new souls arrive through portals in the form of water tunnels.
The tiki symbolises the awesome power of the ocean as well as being intended to invoke respect for Pacific island cultures.