Ed Fladung

Ed lives in the beautiful Mexico. And, you know when you met someone, and it felts like you know each other for long time? That’s how I feel about Ed. Cool guy…. His photography is very journalistic and artistic in the same time. Very good artist and his photos makes me feel like moving to Mexico too… Ed and I are planning to bring Santos SurfArt to the beautiful Puerto Vallarta one day. And this will be sick, ah? Muchas gracias Ed!

What's your name and where are you from?
Ed Fladung. I’m originally from California via Wisconsin via New York. I now reside in Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico with my wife, Marcia. We have a boy that will most likely be born during the festival in January, very auspicious.

When did you find out that you would be an artist?
It was a totally unconscious decision. I guess I’ve been an artist, more or less, my entire life. At the age of 10, my uncle (an painter and architect) asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I shrugged. He then asked me if I wanted to be an artist. I laughed and said “No, I don’t wanna be an artist, they don’t make any money!” What can I say, it was the 80s and the American sitcom show “Family Ties” was my favorite show that month.

What do you want to show to people when you do you art?
My mission is simply to document the things I see each day. I started photographing surf culture and street culture in Mexico, in general, as a way to visually tell my story, the story of someone who is experiencing a culture outside of their own. To people who aren’t apart of that culture, it is a window into something familiar yet foreign. To people who are apart of that culture, it’s a way to view that culture through fresh eyes. I try not to verbalize what it is I’m trying to communicate because often it’s not something I feel comfortable putting into words. It’s kinda like talking about music.

What's surf for you?
Surfing, to me, is about the entire experience: From waking restlessly in the middle of the night to waves dropping like bombs on the beach a block away; to choosing a board for what I (often wrong headedly) expect the day’s swell to bring; to walking the jungle trail; shimmying underneath the barbed wire; the explosion of a thousand nerve-endings as I hit the water; floating in the lineup, sizing up the horizon, looking for “my” wave; the first drop. Surfing is also days of frustration; constantly checking the swell report; weeks of flatness, only to realize you’ve been glued to the computer monitor and just didn’t use your gut to find the waves in a place you don’t normally check.

Can you tell us some highlights in your carrier?
Most of the highlights in my carrier have been as a commercial artist (web designer). I have done work for high-profile companies and clients. I have won a few awards and been profiled in a few prestigious places. It was fun at the time. But nothing beats the feeling, the first time I sold a photograph to someone who had found my photography, over the internet. Imagine that! Someone who was so moved, seeing your work, that they contact you about buying a print. Stoked!

What comes to your mind when you hear the word Brasil?
I think of rich cultural traditions and the buttery sound of the Brasilian Portuguese tongue – music to my ear; a gorgeous mix of cities, jungles and beaches; favelas and street art; wicked music, pop-culture, design and architecture; and how it all blends in the political, sociological and economic history of Brasil. I really hope I make it there sometime soon. It’s definitely on my travel list.

How do you feel to be part of an art show over here in Santos city?
I love it. I really identify with the idea of crossing national boundaries to unite artists that share a common thread. The result expands the viewer’s preconceptions about what surf culture is or can be. I live in an area where “surf culture” is pretty narrowly defined. I try, at every turn, to help expand that definition and push it, and mush it and smudge it.

Some words to the people that will see your work in Brasil.
Hola Brasilian surfers!: you need to know that you are part of something greater. I don’t exactly know what “surfing” is, but I can say that whatever “it” is, it’s something you can only understand by getting out into the water, staring at the horizon for too long and sliding on ripples of energy moving through water. In this respect we are all one people tapping into the same giant collective unconscious. We are all interdependent. Americans (like me) tend to over verbalize things, but the Balinese say it best: Same Same.

Special Note:
Unofficially speaking on behalf of all the artists involved with the Santos Surf Art Festival, I just wanna thank Jair Bortoleto for putting this show together and getting so many interesting artists together to display their work. Your dedication to surf culture and art is truly inspirational. You’re doing an amazing job and it’s apparent to anyone who sees the amazing talent you've corralled into the show. Thanks Jair!

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