IPPY DROPS IN…and Rips

Despite being geographically located 100 kilometres from the nearest ‘break’, videographer Kate Ellovee undertook an ambitious project with the support of Ipswich Art Gallery alongside photographer Doug Spowart to capture this displaced subculture.

Surfing in the 1960s and 1970s was a way to ‘drop out’ from the conversation of the post-war era. At the time of shooting in the 1990s, Kate and Doug sought to ironically combine the absurdity of Ipswich residents leading a seemingly double life. Playing with the aesthetics of classic surfing movies and music videos, the artists used the medium of video and photography to document and poke fun at the successful survival of inland surfers.

The upcoming exhibition marks the 30th anniversary of the original showcase, which is being reimagined and brought back to the very building where it all began. Drop in and see the show this December, over in the Ipswich Community Gallery.