Sidewalk Surfer, 1976. Picture: Hugh Holland
Dog Day Down, Kenter Canyon 1976. Picture: Hugh Holland
There is no doubting I mad for California, I love the 70’s and anything retro. Unfortunately i never had the balance of skill to master the art of skating – I did try!
So I excited to scare this with you…
One afternoon in 1975, a young photographer named Hugh Holland drove up Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles and encountered skateboarders carving up the drainage ditches along the side of the canyon. Immediately transfixed by their grace and athleticism, he knew he had found an amazing subject. Although not a skateboarder himself, for the next three years Holland never tired of documenting skateboarders surfing the streets of Los Angeles, parts of the San Fernando Valley, Venice Beach,and as far away as San Francisco and Baja California, Mexico.
During the mid-1970s, Southern California was experiencing a serious drought, leaving an abundance of empty swimming pools available for trespassing skateboarders to practice their tricks. From these suburban backyard haunts to the asphalt streets that connected them, this was the place that created the legendary Dogtown and Z-Boys skateboarders. With their requisite bleached blonde hair, tanned bodies, tube socks and Vans, these young outsiders are masterfully captured against a sometimes harsh but always sunny Southern California landscape.
This year, 2015, will see Hugh Holland add some new pieces to his highly collectable archive of Skate photographs.
Blender Gallery has been given the opportunity to host a very special exhibition of Hugh Holland¹s collection along with these brand new additions which will be seen as their worldwide debut.
In conjunction with this exhibition, Hugh Holland’s book “Locals Only” will also be launched in Australia at the same time. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to showcase Hugh’s photographs alongside the release of the book.
We are excited to announce that Hugh Holland will be attending the Sydney exhibition and Book launch at Blender Gallery.
This will be the first time that the photographer has travelled to Australia, having hosted international exhibitions in London, Paris, New York and Japan.
His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, npr, and the Los Angeles Times and is held in countless collections globally.
This exhibition is one of the most exciting collections and exhibitions to come Blender Gallery to date.
A collection that no fan of Street Art, Music, Skate and Popular Culture or photography can miss.
The exhibition will open on Thursday June 4th 2015 – with Hugh Holland in attendance.
It will run until August 1st.
Locals Only – by Hugh Holland – Exhibition & Book Launch
SPECIAL EVENT OPENING NIGHT & BOOK LAUNCH: Thursday June 4th 2015 6-8pm with Hugh Holland
BOOK SIGNING and Q&A: Saturday June 6th 2015 12pm with Hugh Holland
EXHIBITION DATES: June 2nd – August 1st 2015
BLENDER GALLERY
16 Elizabeth Street Paddington NSW 2021
ph: 02 93807080
www.blendergallery.com
