Sons of Beaches

Sons of Beaches re-imagines the icon of the Australian surf-lifesaver beyond its traditional associations with masculinity and mateship. This exhibition asks whether the values and attitudes often attached to this prevailing icon are still relevant today, or if the traditions of surf life saving have evolved with the way we culturally identify ourselves as Australians.

The pictures reveal stories of individual surf lifesavers: stories that can be poignant, dramatic, humorous, quirky. The images re-purpose the icon for consumption by a 21st century multi-cultural, multi-faceted audience, and engage currently evolving attitudes about men, masculinity and about being Australian.

Sons of Beaches was exhibited as part of the FotoFreo International Festival of Photography, 2008. The following is an extract from a a review of Sons of Beaches by Arts writer, Ric Spencer, published in the West Australian Arts, 4th April 2008:

Sometimes the FotoFreo Fringe offers up the sleepers of the festival and just maybe Seng Mah’s 'Sons of Beaches' at the Kurb might be one of this year’s little gems.

Mah has spent a few years now hanging around surf lifesaving clubs along Perth northern beaches, reeling off copious amounts of photos in an attempt to capture the essence of an Aussie icon as it’s read in current visual language.

The bronzed Aussie lifesaver has been an integral part of our myth-building as a nation, playing a role well beyond saving lives in the construction of an identity for Australian culture.

So how does the icon stand up under the more learned and perhaps more cynical eye of generations X, Y and whatever we’re up to now?

I enjoyed the way Mah has gone about capturing his images; these are those lifesavers we know but there is a vulnerability about them in these works, an admission of their humanity and a humorous, if not destabilising, approach to catching them at odd moments.

By destabilising, I mean Mah has bravely attempted to de-mask the overtly masculine culture of lifesaving and offer us something that is even more sensual because of its humanity.

Eroticised is perhaps going too far, but these images show us how skilfully photography can either build or deconstruct a narrative and Mah, like Mike Gray’s recent series at the Perth Centre for Photography, plays with the fine and fragile lines of identity that haunt the Aussie male.

Read the full review.

Exhibition Print Sales

Exhibition prints are available for purchase in limited editions of five (5). Prints are available framed or unframed at prices. All prints are on Giclee prints on fine art cotton rag paper.

Pricing: 63cm x 42cm: $540 framed / $ $350 unframed || 42cm x 42cm: $490 framed / $310 unframed

Sales contact: Seng Mah - 0417 604 614 (mobile) or email seng_mah[at]yahoo.com.au

Select one of the images below to view a larger version with edition details.

Book Sales

Sons of Beaches, a 108 page softcover book of surf life saving photographs, is available for sale during the exhibition. Whilst the exhibition explores specific themes relating to the surf life saving enterprise and its iconic place in Australian culture, the photographs in the book present a fuller picture of the endeavours and contexts within which we may view/read/interpret the icon, extending on themes raised in the exhibition.

The book consists of six chapters, each focusing on an aspect of surf life saving:

1. The Beach - location, setting, environment, physical space, and the people whom inhabit it.
2. The Crew - the men who crew the mighty surf boats
3. Surf and Sand - action, adventure, drama and pathos of surf life saving carnivals.
4. Open Water - long-distance open water swimming.
5. The Blue Hole - winter swimmers who brave the wild and frigid ocean.
6. Sons of Beaches - men whose lives are intrinsically linked to the lines and rhythms of the coast.

> Price: AUD$60. Contact Seng Mah to place an order: 0417 604 614 (mobile) or email seng_mah[at]yahoo.com.au

Pages from Sons of Beaches:

Features

Sons of Beaches has been featured in Betasway #3. Betasway is a monthly ezine for urban sports enthusiasts.