A piece by former SURFER Magazine art director Jeff Canham THE HAPPENING
Click here for a full Matt Costa interview on In The Lineup Signs with a glaringly specific message: "No Food or Drink of Any Kind Behind This Sign" are posted ubiquitously in bold letters around the Orange County Museum of Art. Whoever put up those signs probably didn't think that this museum would ever be turned into a sold-out concert venue filled with art and film by participants inextricably tied to surf culture. Nor did they probably think the aforementioned art inside those walls would be any good; yet they would have been dead wrong. As I glanced past those signs towards the sea of precarious merlot glasses and half filled bottles of beer, I couldn't help but appreciate the irony. The Happening, a two day event this past weekend featuring works from the Malloy brothers, Alex Knost, Jeff Canham, Patrick Trefz and many more, along with performances by Matt Costa, White Buffalo, Ray Barbee, Money Mark (from the Beastie Boys) and several others was really, well, happening. It was an art show without many of the pretensions that go along with similar displays. How could it be dull when the ambient background music of a museum was replaced with rockers onstage belting out tunes ranging from original works to Johnny Cash covers? As the crowd drew together in front of the stage to get a good view of the musicians (and the gigantic outdoor screen that was flickering surf and skate films), it seemed more like a party than an art show. And the funny thing was the art was good enough to be at a snootier more typical art show, with top notch photographs, etches, prints and surfboard-art (though it was a lot more fun when viewed in conjunction with other media). A percentage of proceed from the night benefited multiple charities: Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, National Transplant Assistance Fund (to help surfer/spinal cord injury patient Kevin Kroushinsky) and SurfAid International. This combination of media encompassed the spirit of the night: A little edgy, a little rebellious, quite altruistic, very outside-the-box… and totally happening. MUSIC FRIDAY, JANUARY 19
Money Mark (from the Beastie Boys), Rocco Deluca & The Burden, Ray Barbee & The Mattson 2, White Buffalo, The Mumlers SATURDAY, JANUARY 20
Matt Costa, Piers Faccini, Culver City Dub Collective (Adam Topol of Jack Johnson), Andrew Kidman ART
Wolfgang Bloch, Thomas Campbell, Jeff Canham, Joe Curren, Andy Davis, Harry Daily, Ned Evans, Laura Flippen, Julie Goldstein, Robin Kegel, Andrew Kidman, Alex Knost, Alex Kopps, Michael Leon, David Lloyd, Greg LaMarche, John McCambridge, Geoff McFetridge, Barry McGee, Jason Murray, Randy Noborikwa, Scott Richards, Scott Soens, Rachell Sumpter, Koji Toyoda, Patrick Trefz, Alex Weinstein FILM
1st & Hope, by Brian Lotti and The Malloys (trailer)
Woodshed #4: A preview, by The Malloys. Full-length film release in December 2007.
The little John D. death sequence and death in the sea, by Thomas Campbell
Thread, a preview by Patrick Trefz
Untitled,by The Gothic Dolphins Click here for the official event site |
