Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol portrait surfboards

By some strange twist of fate in 1968, the paths of eleven-year-old surfer Tim Bessell and pop art phenomenon Andy Warhol, intersected in La Jolla, California where Warhol was filming San Diego Surf.
 

Brillo surfboard (based on Andy Warhol’s mid-sixties work, “Brillo Boxes”)
 

The Last Supper surfboard (from “The Last Supper” series by Andy Warhol, 1986)
 
Although the film would go unseen for 43 years, Bessell had the unique opportunity to observe Warhol and his muses up close during his formative years. According to Bessell, Warhol lived only two blocks away from him during his time filming in La Jolla and that the artist himself even ended up purchasing surfboards from Carl Ekstrom (the inventor of the asymmetric surfboard and snowboard), who was mentoring Bessel at the time.

Too young to understand the sudden culture explosion surrounding him, Bessell was content to be a curious observer, but the experience would go on to help frame his future as an artist. After graduating with degrees in Art and Architecture from San Diego State University, Bessell and Warhol found themselves rubbing shoulders once again at a mid-80’s party at the Playboy Club in New York. Bessell shared his childhood recollections of when Warhol’s “freak show” invaded his sleepy, hippie surf town during the Summer of Love. He says that this chance meeting “opened his relationship” with Warhol and ultimately led to his collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for a decadent line of surfboards, all bearing Warhol’s unmistakable artwork.
 

“Marilyn” (Warhol’s portraits of Marilyn Monroe done in the weeks after her death in 1962)
 

“Elvis” (silver tone) and “Gun Metal Elvis” surfboards (based on “Double Elvis” by Andy Warhol, 1963)
 

“Mao Zedong” surfboard (from a series of portraits of Mao done by Andy Warhol in 1973)
 
To date, Bessell has created five series of Warhol-inspired surfboards, most fully-functional. Many of the stylish boards may be purchased for a small fortune as you may well imagine. As a former surfer who how hangs her custom Jeff Divine 7’2 board above her bed and a great admirer of pop art, I’m just in awe of how Bessell has transformed his surfboards into stunning hang-ten homages to Warhol. Some of the more recognizable images on the surfboards include “Marilyn Diptych” (1962),  a single version of “Double Elvis (Ferus Type)” from 1963, and “Mick Jagger” (from the series of ten silkscreen images of Mick Warhol did in 1975). There are also three boards embedded with various weapons like an M16 wrapped in cash, (“Guns for Money”), a chrome-plated AK-47 (“Fully Loaded”), and, an AK-47 covered in roses (“Guns and Roses”). Priced starting at $7,000. Gorgeous images of the surfboards from all five collections, as well as the theatrical trailer for San Diego Surf, follow.
 

“Campbell’s Soup Can” surfboard (based on Andy Warhol’s “32 Campbell’s Soup Cans”, 1962)
 

“Mick Jagger” portrait surfboards (culled from a series of ten different portraits of Jagger done by Andy Warhol in 1975)
 

Skull surfboard (based on the work “Skull” by Andy Warhol, 1976)
 

Money Sign surfboard (based on the work “Dollar Signs” by Andy Warhol, 1981)
 

“Revolver” surfboard (based on the work “Gun” by Andy Warhol, 1981)
 

Flowers surfboard (based on “Flowers” by Andy Warhol, 1964)
 

Dance Steps surfboard (based on “Dance Diagram, 5 (Fox Trot: “The Right Turn – Man”)” by Andy Warhol, 1962)
 

‘San Diego Surf’ theatrical trailer

Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Andy Warhol, wrestling fan?