Art Historian Dr Amelia Barikin will present an introduction to two surf films: feature documentary Facing Monsters (dir. Bentley Dean) and short Polluted Leisure (dir. Clifton Evers and James Duvall).

Facing Monsters (2021) dives deep into the psyche of West Australian ‘slab wave’ surfer Kerby Brown, a man whose connection with the ocean runs as deep as his love for his family. Directed by Bentley Dean (ContactTanna), the film unravels Kerby’s inner demons whilst confronting the real-world consequences that his passion could have on his family on his quest to ride a ferocious slab wave in the Southern Ocean.

Polluted Leisure (2020), directed by Clifton Evers and James Duvall, challenges the dominant trope of surfing as fit young male surfers hanging out and surfing on clean sun drenched beaches. From the perspective of an older white male surfer, the film investigates the intersection of petro-masculinity, pure nature in a toxic environment and territorialism in a post-industrial estuary in Northern England.

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Dr Amelia Barikin is a Senior Lecturer in Art History, School of Communication and Arts, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on the relationship between contemporary art and time, working across the areas of philosophy, time studies, art history and critical theory. She completed her art history PhD at the University of Melbourne. Prior to joining UQ, Amelia was ARC Senior Research Associate at the University of Melbourne, and has also worked as a curator and editor with various Australian arts institutions.

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Image credit: film still from "Facing Monsters". Courtesy Garage Entertainment.