On View at Chapman University's Leatherby Libraries

"Before John Severson there was no 'surf media,' no 'surf industry' and no 'surf culture'—at least not in the way we understand it today." – Drew Kampion, surf writer

An enduring legend in the worlds of both surfing and California art, John Severson (1933-2017) was a writer, editor, publisher, photographer, filmmaker and artist. The Los Angeles native, who grew up in San Clemente, is perhaps best known as the founder and editor of Surfer magazine, the publication that helped set the tone for surfer culture and to codify its visual and written language.

Severson earned his master’s degree in art education from Long Beach State in 1956, helping finance his way through college by selling his artworks. The first issue of Surfer, which Severson published in 1960, was a homemade affair, 36 pages long, designed and illustrated mainly by Severson himself. Still, it sold 5,000 copies to surfers eager to absorb every page.

The magazine steadily grew from issue to issue, from its beginnings as nearly a one-man publication to its respected status today, with more than 100,000 subscribers. It was one of the first of many surf publications throughout the world.

Severson created a series of popular surf movies, including Surf (1958), Surf Safari (1959), Surf Fever (1960), Big Wednesday (1961), Going My Wave (1962), The Angry Sea (1963), Surf Classics (1964) and Pacific Vibrations (1970). As a surfer, he competed in many surf contests, became a spokesman for the sport to the media at large, and authored books and articles on surfing.

He sold Surfer in the early 1970s and moved with his family to Hawaii, where he devoted most of his time to creating art, and where he continued to surf almost daily until he was in his early 80s.

As an artist, Severson created vibrant and colorful paintings, drawings, posters, prints and cartoons – all of them highly sought-after and collectible today. He painted the world he knew best – the beach, the ocean and the surfers – in a bold, modernistic style.

Most of his paintings and color prints are set on the beach or on the water, with colors ranging from realistic tones of blue, green and brown to fantastical shades of orange, pink and purple, and figures balancing on the edge between realism and semi-abstraction.

John Severson’s art, depicting the thrill and drama of the ocean waves and the sport of surfing, is a cherished facet of California culture and remains as a legacy to his unquenchable artistic vision and love of life.

Mary Platt, Director

Image:

JOHN SEVERSON (1933-2017)

"Surf Fever"

1990s

Print

15 3/8 x 13 1/8

The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University

Gift of The Hilbert Collection