July 1 through September 2
This exhibition examines the decade of the 1970s through the photographs
of Jeff Divine. As staff photographer for Surfer magazine in the
70s,
Divine is one of the most salient chroniclers of the vibrant surf
culture during this period. From 1971 to 1980, Divine lived in Hawaii
and traveled extensively throughout the world, capturing on film
the art of surfing.
His photographs not only document a particular subculture but also
visually express the zeitgeist—the cultural climate—of
the decade as a whole.
While the 1970s was a time of change and transition, it has often
been overlooked and is frequently viewed as simply the link between
two disparate worlds, the 1960s and the 1980s.
The sense of independence and irreverence depicted in many of Divine’s
images as well as the color-saturated, psychedelic patterns
painted on surfboards are emblematic of a decade plagued with political
corruption on one hand and fueled by an intensely creative impulse
on the other.
Divine’s seminal photographs remain as testaments to the compelling
and dynamic spirit of the 70s.
We
are grateful to Steve Pezman for his gracious contribution as exhibition
consultant,
and we appreciate the generosity of the lenders to the exhibition.
