Footwise Selects Surfboard Mosaics by Artist Philip Gütt for Window Gallery Show

May 25, 2012 - PRLog -- Born in Southern California, Philip has made Oregon his home since the mid 1980’s. A life-long love of surfing mixed with an equally strong infatuation for mosaic art compelled Philip to devise a way to bring the two together. The substrate or “canvas” he uses for creating his mosaic surfscapes are cast-off surfboards. “These boards are old and discarded; they have been ridden on hundreds of waves, are no longer seaworthy and otherwise headed for oblivion,” said Philip. He tiles the top/deck of the boards with an intricate design depicting beaches and idyllic waves reminiscent of the many surf spots he’s traveled to. A six foot board has about 3,000 vitreous and stained glass pieces and takes anywhere from 60 to 100 hours to complete. “Most old and unwanted surfboards end up in landfills, so this has been an incredibly rewarding way to rescue some of them and pay homage to their previous incarnations and the enjoyment they’ve inspired.”  

Philip refers to his mosaic work as “painting with glass” and likens it to color therapy for the gray PNW winters, “saturating my mosaics with as much color as possible using the brightest glass I can find.”

His love for the ocean was cultivated in his early teens when he first started catching waves - first on belly and knee boards, and ultimately evolving into a fully upright surfer. His boards have a recurring theme that is apropos to the very unique substrate that he uses. “My one essential in creating new mosaics for my surfboards is that they include waves somewhere in the design,” said Philip. “Surfboards were created with one thing in mind - riding waves - and I’m always eager to come up with new designs that incorporate breaking waves in postcard perfect locations.”

Barbara Markoff, Corporate Art Consultant in San Diego said this about Philip’s work, “It is not only eye catching and beautifully executed, but he will custom create scenes for clients. The two pieces he created for my client (Huntington Beach Kaiser Permanente) surpassed my expectations, and my client could not have been happier with the results.”  

“I’m really excited about exhibiting my work at Footwise,” commented Philip. “Their Window Gallery is a wonderful venue that provides a lot of exposure to the Corvallis downtown community as well as folks who just happen to be cruising by on foot, skateboard, bicycle or woody.”

Surfboard Mosaics at Footwise will take place in the Footwise Artists’ Window (East Facing Window) 301 SW Madison, Corvallis, Oregon from May 31 through June 27, 2012. For further information about Philip Gütt’s work, please visit his website at www.surfboardmosaics.com or facebook at www.facebook.com/surfboardmosaics


Contact Information:
Philip Gütt
Surfboard Mosaics
URL: http://surfboardmosaics.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/surfboardmosaics
High Resolution Images: http://surfboardmosaics.com/media.html