VANFLETEREN, Stephan - Surf Tribe

Background information

"With 'Surf Tribe', Belgian photographer Stephan VANFLETEREN shows that surf culture encompasses much more than just sport and competition. admire and deeply respect the ocean, the feeling of nullity regarding the forces of nature. Surfers use the waves for the fun, but also to forget and to fight, with others and with himself.

Content

In his photo volume 'Surf Tribe' Stephan VANFLETEREN looks beyond the traditional borders of the United States and Australia and searches all over the world for people who live in places where the ocean hits the land. He records a fluid community, who has nature as sole leader, and portrays both: young talent and living icons and old legends, both league surfers and freesurfers.
No action photos on azure waves but static and serene black-and-white portraits in his familiar, haunting style, which the real people show the surfers in all their strength and vulnerability. A series of images that penetrates into the true core of surf culture. With hundreds of portraits of, among others, Kelly Slater, Gerry Lopez, John John Florence, Mickey Munoz, Filipe Toledo and Stephanie Gilmore. With an afterword by Gerry Lopez." (free translated publisher's note)

Review

"Surfing is about battles won and lost, communion with a mysterious and elusive energy force of nature and meditation as deep as any practiced by the most dedicated Zen monks. Look closely at this stunning collection of portraits by Stephan VANFLETEREN and see the warrior, priest and philosopher in each of these faces. Imagine the experiences, the thoughts, the feelings. If Stephan has captured anything, look deeply into the eyes and behold a world without fathom. Surfing is all about surfers even if the surfers always say that it’s all about the waves first then their surfboards after that. This is why this portrait collection is so provocative. Getting surfers to coherently articulate what it is that makes them tick is a fool’s mission. Surf Tribe evokes the readers to fill in all the blanks for themselves. Look deep and enjoy!” (Gerry Lopez)

About Belgian photographer, Stephan VANFLETEREN (b.1969)

Photo books by Stephan VANFLETEREN

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DUTCH description

"Met 'Surf Tribe' toont fotograaf Stephan VANFLETEREN dat de surfcultuur veel meer omvat dan louter sport en competitie. Surfen gaat ook over het bewonderen en diep respecteren van de oceaan, het gevoel van nietigheid ten aanzien van de krachten van de natuur. Surfers gebruiken de golven voor de fun, maar ook om te vergeten en om te strijden, met anderen en met zichzelf.
VANFLETEREN kijkt voorbij de traditionele grenzen van de Verenigde Staten en Australië en zoekt over de hele wereld naar mensen die leven op plekken waar de oceaan het land raakt. Hij legt een vloeibare gemeenschap vast, die de natuur als enige leider heeft. VANFLETEREN portretteert zowel jong talent als levende iconen en oude legendes, zowel competitiesurfers als freesurfers.
Geen actiefoto's op azuurblauwe golven maar wel statische en serene zwart-witportretten in VANFLETERENs gekende, beklijvende stijl, die de echte mensen achter de surfers tonen, in al hun kracht én kwetsbaarheid. Een beeldenreeks die doordringt tot de ware kern van de surfcultuur.
Met honderden portretten van o.a. Kelly Slater, Gerry Lopez, John John, Florence, Mickey Munoz, Filipe Toledo en Stephanie Gilmore. Met een nawoord van Gerry Lopez."