Surf Art?

Alfred’s latest workwear 2010 Recycled neoprene wetsuits.

The fisherman’s smock was traditionally hand-made from sail canvas by Cornish fishermen and women as a simple item of work wear. In the mid 20^th century, the artisan look of the garment appealed to the burgeoning artist community in St Ives, and has since been adopted as uniform of choice by generations of ‘incomer’ artists (often accompanied by a wide brimmed hat set at a jaunty angle). Fisherman cum artist Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) was famous for wearing a smock, and his working life spans the evolution of Cornish industry from fishing to commercial art during the first half of the century. Wallis, by all accounts, was a lot smarter than art history gives him credit for. It could be the case that if he had lived today, the entrepreneurial spirit that took him from fishing to art, may well have led him to taking advantage of the industry surrounding surfing that has now replaced traditional industries and art as the main draw for Cornwall’s tourists. Alfred’s latest work wear 2010 is a traditional smock made from recycled neoprene wetsuits.