Inshalla surfboard

Although surfing is associated with 'alternative' lifestyles, beach and surf culture can be closed and xenophobic. The coast, especially the rocky coast around Sydney, has often been characterised as a kind of rampart, a barrier protecting our land. Beaches are treated as tribal territory which locals must defend against outsiders. The sun-bronzed Aussie surfer is an ideal figure that excludes, sometimes aggressively, beach goers who are not male or of European descent. In contrast, Phillip George, a Bondi surfer, adheres to the principle that 'In the surf, we are all the same'. He introduces into surf aesthetics those cultures that are currently feared in order to confront the political conflicts embedded in contemporary paranoia about coastal security. The decorative designs inlaid under the polyurethane decks of surfboards have long been an important part of surfing aesthetics. While these designs can be strictly commercial (manufacturers' logos) or have become clichéd (endless sets of perfect waves breaking on Pacific shores), they often have a mystical or psychedelic character. George introduces a new kind of design, based on Islamic calligraphy, tiles and architectural decoration. Inshalla surfboard (2009-10) is a transcultural gesture, inviting an 'alternative' culture to become genuinely inclusive.