California Locos Bridge Art, Subculture, and the SoCal Rebellion with New Exhibition

Generally considered outside the mainstream art world, the California Locos' brand of mashup subculture has become the region's defining cultural export. Founding member Dave Tourjé reflects on an artistic evolution that spans fine art, Cholo-style graffiti, mural graphics, Surf, Skate, and Punk, arriving most recently to the California Surf Museum.

OCEANSIDE, Calif., Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This fall, the California Surf Museum (CSM) and the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) collectively celebrate the legacy of Southern California's surf and skate scene. Few collectives have done more to contribute to that story than the California Locos, a group of LA artists who have transformed SoCal's rebellious energy into a global art movement.

Founded in 2011 by artist and cultural figure Dave Tourjé, the Locos unite a powerhouse lineup — Chaz Bojórquez, John Van Hamersveld, Norton Wisdom, and Gary Wong — whose works span fine art, graffiti, surf/skate, punk rock, design, and more. ⁽¹⁾ Their influence runs deep, from the original SoCal surf scene of the late '50s, to the esoteric classrooms of the Chouinard Art Institute in the '60s, and the empty pools of Los Angeles in the '70s, the punk and graffiti scene of the '80s, to gallery and museum walls at current exhibitions.

"Galleries and museums used to overlook this kind of work," Tourjé explains. "Now, it's completely embraced. But as we gain widespread legitimacy, we also need to protect authenticity and make sure the original stories, people, and neighborhoods that birthed this movement aren't written out."

From Rebellion to Recognition

"The California Locos were born out of rebellion," says Tourjé. "In the '60s, surfing represented counterculture, and Chouinard was a radical fine art institution that Wong, Van Hamersveld, Wisdom, and Bojórquez attended. The artwork born from that milieu now hangs in museums, influences global branding, and shapes Olympic design.⁽²⁾ It's surreal, but it's also vindication for a life steeped in aesthetic rebellion."

That movement is captured in California Locos Renaissance and Rebellion, a book that explores the complex relationship between fine art and LA's street culture. The book's global distribution and the Locos' inclusion in major museum installations underscore its cultural impact. The OMA-CSM's dual exhibition, Surf Art: Exploring California's Coastal Culture, highlights how the Locos' deep roots in surf, skate, and street subcultures continue to shape SoCal's collective creative identity.

Tourjé's path mirrors LA's scene transformation. Raised in Northeast LA amid the surf, skate, and punk explosion of the '60s and '70s, his work blends multicultural roots — his mother from Mexico City — with formal training from UC Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies. Together, the Locos channel these influences into bold compositions that capture the pulse of SoCal lifestyle.

Art, Equity, and Authenticity

"We've gone from the concrete drainage ditches to galleries and museums," Tourjé says, "That's not just progress — that's history." As museums, brands, and Olympic organizers look to capture SoCal's creative spirit, the California Locos stand as both pioneers and protectors of that legacy.

"I see this show as inclusion and validation," he says. "But we need to ask who's telling the story. The SoCal legacy isn't just surfboards and sunsets — it's punk rock, lowriders, street art, multiculturalism, and creative defiance. That's what makes LA unique. That's what we represent."

About the California Locos

The California Locos form a multicultural Los Angeles art collective, founded in 2011, with its original core comprised of acclaimed LA artists Chaz Bojórquez, John Van Hamersveld, Norton Wisdom, Gary Wong, and founder Dave Tourjé. As innovators of contemporary and counterculture art in Southern California over the last half-century, their works synthesize high and low art standards that often blur the boundaries between fine art, street, and life, while defining what it truly means to be a West Coast artist in the 21st century.

Featured Work at California Surf Museum:^(3,4) 

• Norton Wisdom, Skate Goddess, 2015, Oil Paint on board
• Dave Tourjé, 4RGRWEBDR, 2023, Mixed Media on Acrylic Glass with Assemblage, (Edition 5 in series of 8)
• Chaz Bojórquez, La Mix, 1997, Screenprint on Paper, (Edition 5 of 58)
• John Van Hamersveld, The Next Wave, 2024, Digital Print on Canvas, (Edition 1 of 1)
• Gary Wong, Pataphysique, 2022, Sumi Ink, Acrylic on Arches paper

About Oceanside Museum of Art

Founded in 1995, the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) brings people together to explore the art and stories of Southern California through contemporary exhibitions, community programs, and educational initiatives that celebrate the region's diverse cultural heritage. The Oceanside Museum of Art's latest exhibition, Surf Art: Exploring California's Coastal Culture runs through February 2026.

About The California Surf Museum

The California Surf Museum was founded in 1986 and has been in operation for more than three decades, serving tens of thousands of annual visitors from more than 40 nations annually. With a permanent collection which chronicles the history of surfboards and wave-riding, the museum also offers many revolving exhibits each year. It houses a rare set of archives and collections gathered over more than 30 years, comprising one of the world's richest troves of surfing history.

References

1. Tourjé, Dave. California Locos: Renaissance & Rebellion. Drago Publishing, 2023.
2. de Villiers. "LA28 Releases Custom Emblem to Celebrate Olympic Games Paris 2024, Setting the Stage for the Official Handover to the Olympic and Paralympic Games LA28." Olympics.com, 22 July 2024,olympics.com/en/news/la28-releases-custom-emblem-olympic-games-paris-2024-setting-the-stage-for-the-official-handover-to-the-olympic-and-paralympic-games-la28
3. Oceanside Museum of Art. Oceanside Museum of Art, 2025, oma-online.org
4. Surf Art: Exploring California's Coastal Culture. California Surf Museum.

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SOURCE California Locos