Friday Night June 5, The Surfing Heritage Museum held a gathering of sorts to talk about art with Wolfgang Bloch and Alex Weinstein, Kevin Ansell and others. Bolton Colburn, Director of the Laguna Art Museum, Scott Hulet, editor at the Surfers Journal and Steve Pezman, publisher of the surfers journal were leading this discussion. Even David Lloyd was in the audience actively participating. Although the artists appreciate the publicity given them by the surf industry they do n0t think their work is just about surfing and that culture, it is about art and process, even politics and religion. Bolton Colburn said that the more people who grew up surfing and have become financially successful subsequently purchase art related to surfing and as galleries, museums and collectors support this genre, it becomes a significant genre unto itself. As the money comes so does the "importance". Art in Southern California has been produced by artists, many of whom happen to surf and live in close proximity to the ocean. Whether it be Ed Moses, Billy Al Bengston, Ed Ruscha, Charles Arnoldi, Ken Price, Ed Keinholtz or John Baldessari, the surfing culture and the ocean has been a part of their lives and has affected their work somehow. The ocean and the western point of view are why we live in California.
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