Surf Art Catches a Break
L.A. Times
'When surfer and starving artist John Severson showed his work at a Laguna Beach gallery in 1955, his boldly colored abstract paintings of longboarders and the California coast didn't exactly set the art world on fire.
Severson left as hungry as when he arrived, selling exactly one piece for a measly $35. Half a century later, he returned to Laguna for two shows at the Surf Gallery on Coast Highway. This time, hundreds turned out for the opening receptions. Sushi and wine were served. Eager buyers snapped up scores of Severson's oils and watercolors, some costing thousands of dollars.
Severson's art had clearly arrived. So had the genre he pioneered...'
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