When you think of the Morrison Hotel Gallery in Los Angeles, California, you probably think hardcore rock and roll. Featured in the gallery are images of some of the 1960s biggest rock stars including Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Keith Richards.
So, on January 13, what were 500 surf enthusiasts doing at an opening there called The New Wave collection? The show is certainly not music-related, rather a collection of images of giant waves and pro surfers riding them.
Adam Block, MHG’s chief executive, says the exhibit is just part of a new effort to broaden the definition of the gallery’s brand – and of rock stardom. “The athletes captured in these works are, in my opinion, rock stars in their own right, as are the artists who photographed them,” says Block. “The energy, attitude and spirit of The New Wave is as rock and roll as it gets.”
Many of the images were taken during filming of the critically acclaimed Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary series, “The 100 Foot Wave,” filming its third season. Joe Lewis, founder of Amplify Pictures, executive produces the series, which follows big wave surfers and their families as they search for the mythical 100-foot wave at well-known surf locales around the world.
Says Block, “The exhibit shows energy being transferred from creativity to an audience. Something about big wave surfing when you see it on your phone or computer screen is not the same as seeing pictures that are six-feet tall, big and overwhelming, as here, in this show.”
Big wave surfer Garrett McNamara, an anchor star of “The 100 Foot Wave” series and himself a former world record holder for the biggest wave surfed – 78 feet, 2011, Nazare, Portugal – was in attendance. “I walked through so fast it was a blur, so I can’t pick out one or two specific images,” says McNamara. “They’re all so amazing and different in their own right.”
As for his HBO series, McNamara says, “It’ll go on as long as they tell deep, interesting stories without focusing just on surfing – the biggest wipeout, the best wave. People like big waves, but once you’ve seen one or two, you might want to change the channel. It’s the personal stories that captivate the audience, keep them coming back.”
He adds, “If they can keep doing that, this series can go on forever, like “Deadliest Catch” and, for lack of a better one, “Duck Dynasty.”
There is talk that the The New Wave exhibit may travel from gallery to gallery in the future, but no decision had been made at press time. To view and/or purchase images: