Trestles Surf Book – A SoCal Surfing Love Story (Mixed Media Wall Art)
Celebrate the legendary waves of San Onofre with this handcrafted Trestles Surf Book, a sculptural tribute to Southern California surfing history. This unique mixed media artwork combines vintage photos of surfers, a map of Trestles’ iconic breaks (Cottons, Upper, Lower, Church), and a real surfboard fin found washed up at Lowers mounted inside a wooden shadowbox “book.” Finished with letter blocks and resin details, it blends nostalgia and craftsmanship with gallery-level coastal style.
Every side tells a story—from the rugged California railroad spike to archival prints of Jon Severson at Lowers on a glassy day. Labeled “A SoCal Love Story,” this one-of-a-kind collectible captures the soul of surf culture and beach heritage. Signed and dated on the back by artist Nathan Gibbs, this surf art piece is ready to hang and start conversations.
This mixed media piece features a 1960 photograph of Joe Severson, taken by legendary surf documentarian John Severson, along with a vintage surf map and short excerpt from Surfing California (1973).
These historic materials are incorporated under the doctrine of fair use for the purpose of artistic transformation and cultural commentary. The imagery and text are presented in a layered assemblage that reflects on the early mythology of Trestles and the explosion of surf culture in postwar California.
The original elements are used selectively and critically, reinterpreted through sculpture to evoke themes of access, memory, and the spiritual relationship between wave and rider.
All rights to the original photograph and text remain with John Severson’s estate and the respective copyright holders.
