The setting, on the roof terrace of Tate St Ives, could hardly have been more appropriate. A symposium was held there in May 2007 to mark the opening of the exhibition If Everybody Had an Ocean: Brian Wilson, An Art Exhibition exploring how visual artists had been inspired by the creative force behind The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson. Participants could feel the wind in their hair, and watch waves crashing on the beach.
A capacity audience of 100 people including students, artists, teachers and Cornwall’s creative and cultural sector were there to discuss the particular attraction Wilson’s life and work holds for artists.
‘There was even the occasional dolphin swimming past,’ says Susan Lamb, Head of Learning at Tate St Ives.
Contributors included exhibiting artists Thomas Demand and Jeremy Glogan, the exhibition’s curator Alex Farquharson, sound artist and author David Toop, and Jennifer Higgie from art magazine Frieze.
‘It was a very vibrant conversation,’ says Lamb. ‘It explored the international contexts for the show, and there was a lot of debate surrounding the approach, exploring a different kind of curation.’
