Dumpster Dive

One of the noticeable accouterments in the original Surfer magazine office was the presence of founder John Severson’s artwork on the walls. One piece was a particularly large squeeze-bottle painting of a surfer on a wave, articulated by lines of oil paint. As far as the technique was concerned, it was a one-of-a-kind painting by John. The piece frequently caused visitors strolling through the office to stop and soak it in. 

In the late 1970s, Surfer was sold to a holding company and moved into a larger office building. During the move, much of what had been accumulated during the previous 15-plus years was purged. Somehow, John’s squeeze-bottle painting was thoughtlessly thrown in the dumpster outside the warehouse. 

One Friday evening, my wife, Debbee, who also worked at Surfer, was leaving the office and noticed the painting sticking out of the dumpster. She immediately rescued it, threw it in the back seat of her Fiat convertible, and spent the weekend cleaning it up. The following Monday morning, she hung it on the wall in her office. The painting eventually moved into our home. Years later, after founding The Surfer’s Journal together, we proudly displayed it in the office as a cherished piece by John.

Decades later, John, then living on Maui, began seeking out some of his older works. He became aware that we had his squeeze-bottle opus. He contacted Debbee and asked for its return. Debbee, an overly considerate soul, sent it to John even though we genuinely treasured it. Later, we heard that he sold it to a collector on Kauai. It saddened Deb that she had returned it to John under the impression that he wanted it back as a personal memento, but she just found a way to let that sadness go.

Enter Gordon McClelland, a noted San Clemente surfer who made his living dealing art and publishing esoteric books on the subject. While working with John on a book, Gordon mentioned to him that Debbee was taken aback when she learned he ended up selling the piece she’d rescued from the dumpster. 

Months later, right around the holidays, a large package from John ended up on Debbee’s desk. Gordon delivered it with a note that read, “If you choose to open this package, you may ask no questions.” Debbee, immediately understanding what had transpired, emailed John, “Oh my God!” To which John sweetly replied, “Home again. Home again.”

In his honor, John’s squeeze-bottle painting presently hangs in the TSJ office once more. Like before, visitors and employees often pause when walking by it to take in the details of an original Sevo.