Andrew Warren's blog

On Monday 12th July, Federal Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts Minister Peter Garrett opened the Australian Centre for Cultural Environmental Research - AUSCCER (pronounced OSCAR!) - at the University of Wollongong.

As part of a recent trip to the US attending and presenting at the world's largest geographers conference (AAG), I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a week in southern California researching local surf culture and surfboard industry. As part of an examination into changes enveloping the surfboard market I was able to link up with three well known American shapers: Tim from Bessell Surfboards, Terry from Senate Surfboards and Greg from Sauritch Surfboards.

Over the past year I have been conducting a series of interviews and research tours with a group of well known surfboard makers in Wollongong. As a surfer myself I have been aware of the changes occurring with the surfboard making industry - locally and gloablly - whereby hand making skills are being increasingly replaced by computer automation.

Continuing my PhD research, Rob Evitt (A directed Studies student from UOW) and I have been carrying out a number of interviews with young Indigenous hip hoppers from across the Wollongong region. Our work has been investigating the significance of place in hip hop performances.

Custom car design has become a central case study for my PhD. Modifying and customising cars has not previously been examined or even considered a creative industry. I found this surprising.

Given car cultures are so visually obvious, i assumed that research would have documented the creative work that goes into these vehicles. I was aware that many car enthusiasts- both young and old- had a passion for 'doing-up' their cars, as a hobby or project based activity. Many spend thousands of dollars on their transformations.