TPE News

Surf Life Exhibition opens at secretspot-stives gallery.

It was a great night for the surf crowd in St Ives last night (Friday) with around 100 people at the launch of Lucia Griggi's first exhibition, Surf Life, at secretspot-stives, a lot of whom then went round the corner to hear Nat Young's boy Beau playing at the Queen's as part of the St Ives September Festival.

For some it was going to be a long night, but not as long as the previous night had been for Lucia and gallery director Geoff Swallow, who had both been up until 5am hanging the exhibition. The most ambitious so far for secretspot-stives gallery, the exhibition takes up both the main gallery and a new gallery specially opened for Surf Life, almost doubling the existing gallery area. It’s impressive enough that they are dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary surf photography, but as anyone who has been to the secretspot-stives gallery will know, these are also pretty big spaces.

Lucia and Geoff have teamed up with a new print company based in Cornwall called The Print Environment for this exhibition. The result is awesome, not just in the quality, density and vibrancy of the colours captured in Lucia’s stunning photographic images of the Maldives, Tahiti and Morocco, but also how the images are presented. The new gallery space is dominated by a 3metre high image of Elise Garrigue, the French pro surfer, part portrait and part, well, sofa,  a sort of Homer Simpson fantasy, a beautiful woman who is also a sofa. You sense that this is where surf photography meets art installation, and wonder what plans Geoff might have for future innovations at secretspot-stives.

Although not on such a jaw-dropping scale, the imaginative use of Lucia’s images, using the Print Environment’s impressive technical resources to the max, brings a touch of fun and some subtle arty touches to the main gallery.

Details from a vibrant study of cobalt blue Moroccan fishing boats and a yellow and green geometric patterned rug hanging on a washing line by a weathered, paint-peeling door, are picked up on the canvas of a pair of deckchairs. A makeshift washing line has been strung up between them, with rash vests, all printed with different images. Tassy Swallow perspired gently in a sepia printed wetsuit for most of the evening. One of the most impressive talking points was a room-sized rug printed with an aerial photograph of the Maldives.

As well as the installations, contemporary furnishings and beach gear on display, the exhibition also features nearly 30 photographs and portraits of surfers, surf lifestyle and surfing locations.

Surf Life at secretsport-stives gallery is now open from today until November 11, Wednesdays to Thursdays, from 10am to 4pm. Get there either from the Trewyn Gardens direction or from Bedford Road (by Barclays Bank). The gallery is in The Old Sunday School, between the church and The Elms. Look for the Surf Life banner.