Griffin’s Gate

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this is
Rick Griffin
at work
:

He surfed.
He drew comics.
Fun in the sun stuff.
California in the 60’s
.
He had his own style
and people loved it
.

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He got good at it
.
Surfer Magazine,
Concert posters,
Album Covers,
Big Names
!!!
REALLY
good
at it
!

Rather than show more examples
of Rick’s Comic and Rock art,
here’s a handwritten memory:

Notice his signature…

Rick had distinctive
handwriting
(lettering!)
and
transformed this into
what might be called
a personal icon
.
The image
became a kind of
“graphic signature”
and was also used
for the cover of
his art book
:

We’re Moving On…
to a later period
of Rick’s life,
but for the
interested
,
“Club of the Waves”
hosts a beautiful review
of Rick’s early work here:

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We’re skipping a lot,
but soon after delivering
a 32-page masterwork
“Man from Utopia”
to be published
,
Rick Became
A Christian

(!!!)

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As
Rick’s
spiritual beliefs
changed, so did the
focus of his art
.

Here’s a billboard he painted
in California to share the
“Imperial Message”

He continued making comics
but referenced Jesus & Christianity.
He created characters like Holy Ned
He made posters for Maranatha.
He drew art for Christian tracts.
.
This was notcher typical
“Church Art”
:

FREE

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later,

Rick was invited to collaborate on
a book project with Chuck Smith,
pastor of Costa Mesa Calvary.
He was reaching out to people
and sharing a message of love
.

(Personal Note:
We became Christians
at Capo Beach Calvary.
Our pastor was Chuck’s
son, Chuck Smith, Jr.!)

He wanted
to paraphrase
The Gospel of John
,
illustrated to appeal to
“Jesus Freaks” gathering
in Southern California
.
Rick
was the
perfect artist
at the perfect time
.
Together
they created a
modern masterpiece,
(in my opinion)
One of the “Top Ten”
Christian art books
in my collection
.

Rick moved to Santa Ana
to start working on the project,
and devoted several years to it
.

He began
by illustrating the
chapter headings in his
usual comic style; pen & ink
(kudos to Rapidograph)
.
Many of these illustrations
are clever, using the chapter
numbers themselves as part of
the graphic, sometimes including
modern cultural elements and
using different styles as a
“nod” to other artists
he admired
.
Receiving encouragement,
and beginning to realize what
a significant opportunity this was,
he started a series of full color
acrylic paintings for it
.
You’re about to see
three of those
paintings
:

This
scene shows
“The Triumphal Entry”,
Jesus enters the Gates of Jerusalem,
(not “Griffin’s Gate”. We’ll get to that)
while people of all cultures celebrate.
.

The
next day
the large crowd
that had come to
the feast heard
that Jesus was
coming to
Jerusalem. 
So they took
branches of palm
trees and went out
to meet him,
crying out,
“Hosanna!
Blessed
is he who
comes in the
name of the Lord,
even the King of Israel!” 

John 12:12-13

This painting rewards a closer look.
I’m impressed by the luminous angels
(I originally thought it was confetti, ha)
I love that he painted the people in
the crowd as from many cultures
.
In Gordon McLelland’s biography,
he commented that it looks like Rick
painted his own likeness as one of
them (holding a staff), and his wife
Ida’s as another (holding a baby)
.
If you look closely on the other
side, you can see a small boy
holding a tiny surfboard and
wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd
T-shirt. (Lynyrd Skynyrd’s
plane had just crashed
as he was painting)
.

I chose this painting
because it’s a
celebration

.
The religious leaders were
moaning and groaning
about losing control
,
but the people
were excited
!!!

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When evening came,
his disciples went down
to the sea, got into a boat,
and started across the
sea to Capernaum.
It was now dark,
and Jesus had
not yet come
to them. 
The sea
became rough
because a strong
wind was blowing
. 
When they had
rowed about three
or four miles, they saw
Jesus walking on the sea
and coming near the boat,
and they were frightened. 
But he said to them,
“
It is I,
do not be
afraid
”

John 6:16-20

This painting is dark.
I hope you can see it okay if
you’re viewing on a small display,
but I love it and want to show it !
I initially chose this one because
Rick did so much early work
related to beaches and
water and surfing
.
Just looking at this painting,
I can almost feel the storm.
and the darkness.
and the fear
.
Beautiful movement
conveyed by his
composition.
Just gorgeous.

(ok, I’m gushing now,
but I have been painting
with acrylics for years and
I can truly appreciate what
Mr. Griffin has done here.
I could NOT do this!)

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This painting is also about water.
A meeting at a community well.
Exquisitely formed splashing
crowns of water droplets
.
Jesus,
an observant Jew
speaks to a Samaritan
(shocking!)

Jesus,
a single man, speaks
to an unwed woman
(no chaperone?)

Jesus,
holy and pure
speaks to a sinner
(listen)

Jesus said to her,
“Everyone who drinks
of this water will be
thirsty again, 
but
whoever
drinks of the
water that I will
give him will
never be
thirsty
again.
The
water that
I will give him
will become in him
a spring of water
welling up to
eternal
life
” 

John 4:13-14

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As I’m reviewing these works,
I realize that all three are about
Jesus coming to people
wherever they are
.
do not be afraid
.

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Griffin’s Gate

In 1991,
Rick died after
his motorcycle was
forced off the road
by a van he was
attempting
to pass
.
Here is his
last published work,
“Heaven’s Gate”
.
His
daughter
calls the piece
“Griffin at Heaven’s Gate”

“Griffin at Heaven’s Gate”
Portrait of the man
kneeling before
his maker, pen
and ink in hand.
This is our father’s
last published work.
It was printed in The City,
a San Francisco magazine,
shortly before he passed
August 18, 1991
Gone way too soon
and deeply
missed
.

Flaven Griffin-Clayton

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I hope to pass
through a similar gate
some time in the future…
“Seeya there, Rick!”

To learn more, here’s the
Official Rick Griffin Website:

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Thanks for visiting
and may God
bless you
!!!

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