Street art graffiti related to surf oceans

Every weekend I drive through the sleepy surf town of Encinitas, California. Amidst the cafes and bike riders lies a criminal work of art. The Surfing Madonna statue, as it has come to be known, in Encinitas is a controversial artwork that combines the image of the Virgin de Guadelupe with the essence of Southern California surfing culture. If you blink, it’s easy to miss this wonderful work of art as you drive by the corner of Encinitas Boulevard and Highway 101. It’s a mosaic that encompasses the Virgin Mary, in all her glory, shredding a wave, along with the message “Save The Ocean”. It’s a beautiful work of art, we see the Virgin Mary framed within a golden mandorla with her hands folded in prayer, a classical and Bibilical artistic image. However, her robe is blown up by the California sea breeze as she elegantly rides the face of a cobalt wave.

Mark Patterson was the creator of this work, and with his friend Bob Nichols, they disguised themselves as construction workers in order to illegally erect the Save the Ocean mosaic, or the Surfing Madonna as locals have come to know it. They put the sculpture up in broad daylight in 2011, originally erected under the train bridge on Encinitas Boulevard. As the public passed them by with hardly any notice, they put up this work. Even after firefighters asked why they were there, they told them they were simply there to help with maintenance regarding the bridge, and they were left alone to finish putting up the Madonna.

After being unveiled, the sculpture elicited much controversy. Many found the artwork both clever and beautiful, an interesting, modern twist on the thousand of classical Virgin Mary artworks that have been created for millenia. However, many people of strong Catholic or Christian faith found the artwork incredibly insulting, a demeaning portrayal of the mother of Jesus Christ. Many city officials had problems with the artwork as well d

Surf art is visual art about or related to the sport of surfing, waves, and the culture that surrounds beaches.

There is a strong connection between art and surf culture, which reaches back 3,000 years to Peru, where some of the world's first historians carved bas-reliefs of surfers. The intersection of surf and art realms today, however, extends far beyond art documenting life. Both have stretched to encompass each other and the areas of popular culture and commercialism. Art today incorporates graffiti, advertisements and everyday items, and surfing is as much about clothes, attitude and punk music as it is hitting the waves.

Photography is a popular and influential medium of surf art. Imagery documents life, and in surfing terms, it encapsulates a passion, a sport, and a lifestyle. The main objective of surf photography is to not only enlighten the viewer of the pleasures of surfing, but also to demonstrate other facets of the life of a surfer.

While many artists within the field of 'surf art' do not attach themselves to the specific moniker as creators of only surf related art. Other terms often used are 'ocean art', 'wave art', and 'art of the sea' among others.

Variations of surf art as a subject matter can fall within other art styles such as impressionism, surrealism, abstract or realism.

Among coastal communities around the world, surf art in any form is growing in popularity and price. In 2011, contemporary artist Raymond Pettibon's work 'No Title (But the sand)' sold at Christie's for USD $820,000.

Surf art has manifested as cave drawings by old native Hawaiians along with painters, surrealists, graphic designers, sculptures and installation artists. Many are surfers themselves. Surf art has spread from coastal areas to urban cities, such as New York, where surf culture and art exhibitions can now be found.

Notable surf artists include Rick Griffin, Raymond Pett