God of Wealth
Dreaming of Paradise at the
Altar of the Astral Reefs
Oil and Tempera [Old Masters Technique] - 75"
x 48"
Here the traditional Hawaiian God of wealth symbolises the wealth of
experience that comes after many decades of surfing the planet's oceans.
From his pipe rises the criss-cross pattern of traditional Maori culture
which symbolises the joining of cultures. Surfing has spread from its earliest
Polynesian roots to become embraced by many world cultures which are now
becoming inextricably linked to the Hawaiian sport of Kings. In many ways
this is thanks to Duke Kahanamoku who is pictured atop this pattern with
his hands on his hips as he gracefully introduces surfing to Australia
on December 23, 1914 at freshwater beach. Just to the left of this You
see the traditional Hei-Matau of the Maori which represents strength, prosperity,
abundance, fertility and respect for the Sea as well as Power, Authority,
Good Luck and safety when traveling over water. Here again we see the Duke
carrying a small western child on his shoulders whilst surfing at Waikiki.
The smoke curls up in either direction to the spirals known as korus
which symbolise Peace, Tranquility, Spirituality, Regrowth and new beginnings.
Here the latest generation of surfers continue to push the limits of surfing.
On the pipe base is an image of Bob McTavish surfing Honolua Bay in
1967. Most Australians see McTavish along with George Greenough as being
visionaries of the time in that they dreamt of and created boards and fin
systems that would take surfing into the next realm at that time.The pipe
is meant to symbolise the power of vision and imagination with their ability
to create new realities.
Within the coils of the pipe is the enigmatic Michael Peterson , a symbol
of both inspired surfing as well as the dangers of undisciplined indulgence.
Nearby the pipe is the classic and legendary Gerry Lopez soul arching
at the Pipeline. So much style and forever cool in the midst of it all.
He is the modern embodiment of the ancient spirit of Aloha.
The largest figure is inspired from a photograph of Sunny Garcia surfing
Kirra taken by Jane Lewis which appeared in Groundswell Magazine Volume
3 issue 2. He is giving a peace sign which should serve as a lesson to
us all as surfing gains in popularity and the crowd factor continues to
increase.
This painting is available
as a poster.
Purchasing
Information
