Roy Porello

Works

Yellow Bikini, Windansea Beach
Concert, Pacific Beach
Louise La Pointe, Boomer Beach, La Jolla Cove
Skateboarding at Kate Sessions
Mike Hynson Shaping
Paddle Board Race Around Crystal Pier, Pacific Beach
Shore Break Jump, Windansea

Overview

San Diego-based photographer Roy Porello grew up in Pacific Beach, surfing and photographing the 1960s beach scene during a time of rapid progress in the sport of surfing. Born 1946, his early years were spent in the ever-evolving neighborhood of Pacific Beach. Ushering in an era of freedom, positivity, and artistic growth, the sixties are well known for the catalytic influence on the shifting perceptions of art in Southern California. The developments and changes in surfing and art culture allowed for an emergence of artists learning how to implement new mediums, ideas and/or aesthetics.

In this emerging free-spirited environment, Porello began capturing moments that came to him with ease. Under the mentorship of the San Diego underwater and surf photographer Ron Church, Porello became a fixture along the beaches of San Diego, documenting the waves and shorebreak along spots like Windansea, Crystal Pier, and Marine Street. He captured this freewheeling era on film with primarily black-and-white scenes of tanning women in bikinis, paddle board races, surf contests, beach parties and concerts, at times centered by local legends like surfers Skip Frye, Butch van Artsdalen, and Mike Hynson.

Exhibitions