The Durban Exhibition:
This was an industry function I was looking forward to! I was especially excited since theBOMBsurf, for over a year, has been planning a dedicated surf-art issue, So it was great to see the surf industry embracing this initiative of O'Neill's - the Art of innovation Tour.
All the Surf Industry players were there, Jordy and his many followers were there, shapers, socialites, media and artists turned out. The Umthombo kids were there which was cool, and I had a good chat to Dean Elliot, one of the SA guys who contributed to the exhibition.
The general feeling from the crowd was definitely one of respect for Mr. Jack O'Neill and the many original wetsuits on display paid tribute to this. The art was also very inspiring, the main talk of which was around the massive Liam Gerrard charcoal sketch of Jack, and then the Mark Penxa image.
Check out the slideshow for more...
O'Neill 60 Year Anniversary Global Innovation
And Art Exhibition is in Durban this week!
BOMBsurf subscribers have the opportunity to see The South African leg of the O'Neill global Innovation and Art Exhibition, which is in Durban this Thursday 5 July 2012 at "The Upstairs bar" Of Spiga D'Oura in Florida rd, from 7pm.
If you love surfing, you love art, or like we do at theBOMBsurf - love both - then you don;t want to miss this.
The exhibition is a tribute to the legacy of O'Neill founder Jack o'Neill which includes local artists entering art pieces as representations of Jack himself.
“We have had some amazing art submissions of Jack," said O'Neill South Africa brand manager Paul Canning. "It is great to be able to celebrate 60 years of such a renowned brand in the surf industry as well as honor Jack O’Neill for all his incredible contributions he has given to the sport of surfing”
On display will also be some of the most famous wetsuits in the history of the sport. "I have also just received delivery of the original wetsuits which are on this global tour," added Canning. "It's going to be awesome to see some of the early styles like the Beaver Tail, The Supersuit and The Original Animal Skin, and how the wetsuits have developed over the years to the current styles like the Psycho 2.”
Top-rated South African WCT surfer Jordy Smith is also going to be in attendance. “It is also great to have the tour in town at the moment and South Africa’s own surfing legend Jordy Smith and the rest of Team O’Neill will be there and happy to autograph posters for anyone," said Canning.
The exhibition continues on Friday and Saturday. All are welcome, so bring your laaities, your ballies, your missus and your chinas and hang out with Jordy, the crew from O'Neill and enjoy the heritage of surfing and art all in one place in Surf City.
What is the O'Neill 60 years of Innovation Art Tour?
O’Neill has embarked on an eight-month, global art and innovation tour in celebration of its 60th year of operation. So far the tour has had exhibitions in Sydney, Bali, Tokyo and recently in Holland, with the next stop scheduled for Durban, South Africa in July.
The Durban exhibition will open it’s doors to the public at The Upstairs Bar at Spiga on Florida Rd on Thursday the 5th of July at 7pm, and will be on display until 1pm on Saturday the 7th of July, and O’Neill would like to extend an invitation to anyone who would like to come and celebrate the unique story, art and wetsuit innovations from the past six decades with us.
How can BOMBsurf readers get involved?
If you'd like to attend the exhibition, email us here, and we'll pick 10 BOMBsurf readers to attend as VIP's. Jordy Smityh John-John Florence and Jarrad Howse will be in attendance.
If you are a local artist and would like to submit artwork for the show, please send a photograph of your piece to oneillart@monsterchildren.com by Friday, the 22nd of June 2012. Please include your name, age, location, website/blog and the artwork medium.
All submissions should be Jack O'Neill inspired artworks and larger formats are encouraged.
The best entries will get chosen and hung up at the exhibition and from that lot the best 6 entries will go on the rest of the global tour with the exhibition and auctioned at the end. All profits raised form the sale of the artworks will go to 5 of O'Neill's globally selected non-profit organizations, one of which is Umthombo, based right here in Durban.
More about the Tour...
Six decades of wetsuit innovation, iconic imagery and commissioned artworks are being showcased in a historic time capsule open to the public.
Global Brand Ambassador & Asia-Pacific Marketing Manager, Rob Bain, says that in this period of big business and mainstream attention, this celebration gets back to the essence of where the industry grew from. “Our company founder, Jack O’Neill, is a pioneer in all aspects of the surf industry and without his foresight and dedication to wetsuit innovation, the industry wouldn’t be where it is now,” he said, adding...
“Since 1952 O’Neill has been at the forefront of innovation and with this global exhibition we are showcasing six decades of industry firsts for O’Neill, from the wetsuit, to iconic imagery and stories.”
“Above all, this event is a celebration of Jack, his passion and his love for surfing. We want to share this with everyone, from surfers who live on the beach, to those who live in the city or suburbs but have an interest in the sport and the lifestyle."
As well as all the elements that have made O'Neill synonymous with being "The First Name In The Water' being showcased at these exhibitions, Monster Children Creative has commissioned six artists to create art pieces in the form of iconic founder Jack O'Neill. These artworks will travel to the event locations around the world, culminating in a final showing at the O'Neill Cold Water Classic ASP World Tour event at Santa Cruz, California in early November 2012.
At the conclusion of the O'Neill Cold Water Classic event, all six commissioned pieces will be auctioned off to the public, with 100% of sales proceeds shared amongst the O'Neill chosen charities, of which one is Durban based street children's rehabilitation centre, Umthombo, which introduces street children to surfing and the ocean.
At every location on this global tour, local artists will be encouraged to submit their own artworks representing Jack O'Neill, with a selection of 6 of these submitted to be included at the exhibition in the respective territories. For examples of artwork check out previous submitted pieces and imagery of Jack O'Neill here 60yearsofinnovation.tumblr.com
O'Neill South Africa's General Manager Paul Canning is excited about the upcoming tour. "We can't wait for the tour to hit Durban, " said Canning. "Just to see all the iconic wetsuits from all the different decades, the adverts from years ago and other pieces from the O'Neill vault is going to be amazing. O'Neill history is like a time capsule for our sport. We're also really keen to see how our local artists are going to depict Jack O'Neill."
Any queries please contact Paul Canning:
paul.c@sectorgroup.co.za
031 313 1400 
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