33. Surfing through grief
Finding solace in the water.
suggested reading method
To best savour this artwork, please take a moment to eliminate distractions. Consider minimizing all other windows on your computer; putting other devices (phone, tv etc) aside; taking a deep breath, to the full extent of your lung capacity; and focusing solely on the “artwork” section.
Once you’ve processed that to your satisfaction, the rest of the post is optional reading, provided only to share my own impressions and reasons for choosing this piece.
artwork
Excerpts from graphic novel In Waves by AJ Dungo.
interpretation
I regret I can’t put the full, physical graphic novel into your hands so you can absorb all 370 pages of beauty. But for a second, let’s just focus on these three page spreads. Clean compositions, rendered in teal: the colour of the ocean, in a desaturated shade of blue one might associate with sadness. I also love the smooth lines rendering the waves, conveying a realistic sense of movement without detracting from the human figures.
From these few pages, the reader can infer something has changed in these characters’ lives. The girl on the bicycle has a leg attachment; she’s the same girl whose body “had its limits” on the last excerpt. We learn in the first few chapters (hopefully not a spoiler alert!) that Kristen passed away after a long battle with cancer. The book unfolds after that realization in a careful and measured manner, interspersing poignant moments from a biographical, personal love story with the history of surfing. Some reviews didn’t appreciate the disjointedness between chapters, and I agree the thematic connections are not always obvious. But I think the larger point the reader can take away is that, both in its early days and today, surfing is a source of joy and escape: an opportunity to improve oneself, bond with friends, achieve greatly, and live to the fullest.
The title of the graphic novel plays on how grief comes “in waves” – and equally, so do happiness and peace. I am left trying to take to heart this line from Kristen’s mother: “Life is short AJ, you better enjoy it.”
context
AJ Dungo (b. 1991) is an American illustrator and artist born in Florida, who moved and spent much of his youth in Southern California. He is most well-known for In Waves. According to this interview, what started out as an art school project about Tom Blake and Duke Kahanamoku became intertwined with the story of his late girlfriend Kristen, who touches many hearts as she lives on through his work.
Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments!