Today, the acclaimed Los Angeles Art Collective CALIFORNIA LOCOS announced their tribute to legendary artist Rick Griffin with a celebratory, wide-ranging event. Presented by Juice Magazine, this celebration at the Waterfront on the Venice Beach Boardwalk will include the first screening of Pacific Vibrations in 50 years. The event starts at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2022.
RSVP to attend the event here.
Like a time machine, Pacific Vibrations will take partygoers back to a golden era in surf culture in California with a soundtrack featuring Cream, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Steve Miller Band and more. The classic surf film, featuring Rick Griffin, stars Jock Sutherland, Bill Hamilton, Mike Tabeling, Jeff Hakman, Corky Carroll, Miki Dora and more. Originally released in 1970, Pacific Vibrations was made by Griffin’s close friend John Severson who is a Hall-of-Fame surfer, filmmaker, artist and the founder of Surfer magazine and Skateboarder magazine.
IMPACTING SURF AND ROCK WITH ART
Griffin also worked for Severson at Surfer Magazine in the ‘60s with CALIFORNIA LOCO John Van Hamersveld as Art Director. Griffin helped forge Surfer’s influential graphic mystique from the early “Murphy” to his abstract typography and comic renderings of the ‘70s. Later, he designed iconic surf film poster art for Five Summer Stories and Tales from the Tube and more. In San Francisco, Griffin became a pioneering artist of the psychedelic rock poster era, creating dozens of instant classics from Grateful Dead to Jimi Hendrix, and even designed the logo for Rolling Stone Magazine during the late ‘60s.
RICK GRIFFIN AND CALIFORNIA LOCOS
Griffin is considered an original SoCal and California Loco archetype. He grew up with Van Hamersveld and lived with Loco Gary Wong during art school and is a primal influence on the group. A limited collection of CALIFORNIA LOCOS x Rick Griffin numbered skateboards and accessories curated by Creative Director Nano Nóbrega will be on display and available for presale at the event as part of the tribute. The official CALIFORNIA LOCOS x Rick Griffin collection will launch on December 11.
RICK GRIFFIN INTERLUDE 01, PACIFIC VIBRATIONS
Along with the historic free screening of Pacific Vibrations and the capsule collection release, a new short film, titled Rick Griffin Interlude 01, Pacific Vibrations created by CALIFORNIA LOCOS founder, and award-winning filmmaker, Dave Tourjé, in collaboration with Steve Barilotti and Julian Clark will be screened. Additionally, members of the Griffin family will be in attendance, as well as friends and admirers from the surf and rock worlds such as art legend, Robert Williams. The evening’s festivities will also include rare story-telling with Robert Williams and O.G. California Locos John Van Hamersveld, Gary Wong, Chaz Bojórquez, Norton Wisdom and Dave Tourjé.
