We hear from American artist Richard Phillips
"My ultimate escape would definitely be a surfing holiday. The location would be dependent upon wherever there are waves. Ideally I’d go with my fiancé Josephine – she’s not a surfer but she loves the ocean and tropical destinations. I would take my 6’4” round pin surfboard, a pair of trunks and some sunscreen.
"I began learning to surf through the winter in New York City in ice-cold water"
I first got into surfing when I lived briefly in Hawaii in 1999-2000. I began bodyboarding there and when I returned to New York City and met friends in Rockaway, they informed me that I could no longer bodyboard and that I needed to learn to surf. I went out and bought a surfboard and began learning to surf through the winter in New York City in ice-cold water. I’ve enjoyed remote locations in California which need to remain secret, for sure. But there are wonderful spots north of LA county that have been particularly enjoyable and the island of Oahu, on the north shore of Hawaii, is an absolute highlight."
This is Richard Phillips, the American artist known for his hyper-realistic, large-scale paintings that reflect the traditions of popular culture. The appeal of surfing was perhaps best summed up by the legendary Diana Vreeland, who in her memoirs cited it as one of her fantasy activities. "I'm mad about water.. I think water is God's tranquilliser. To be in it, to drink it, to look at it and to be a surfer! To be between the water and the sky would be the most wonderful thing! I'm sorry I just didn't make it...". Phillips, on the hand, spends as much time in the water as possible. In 2012, he collaborated with his former subject Lindsay Lohan on a surf film First Point and this year he has designed a limited edited surfboard for Tommy Hilfiger.
Richard Phillips' limited edition surfboard is priced £1,300 and available from June 10, as part of the brands Surf Shack project in collaboration with The Art Production Fund.
Text by Laura Bradley
