Coastal California is the land of sun, sand, and surf. It is ingrained in the lifestyle, sold to tourists and residents alike so much so that if you conduct an internet search for “California surfer” you will be inundated by pictures of men and women who are overwhelmingly young, white, and fit. However, these images do not reflect reality and exclude many historically underrepresented and excluded communities, sending the message that surfing isn’t for them.
This Gray Wing exhibition will build upon the photojournalistic work of Southern California artist Gabriella Angotti-Jones whose “I Just Wanna Surf” book highlights Black female and non-binary surfers as well as other unseen or outright ignored communities that ride the waves off the Golden State. The exhibition will explore the history of California surfing from a socio-political perspective through the work of additional Central Coast and California artists that represent the impacted communities.
Additional artists include Vernon Ah Kee, Sandow Birk, Stephen Milner, Tracey Moffatt, Kunyalala Ndlovu, Catherine Opie, Shea Somma, and Joni Sternbach.