Shaped by the sea: The resurgence of Morgan Bridgeford

THE idea of creating again helped Morgan Bridgeford through the darkest period of his life. Without it, he believes he could have ended up on a very different path.

 

Bridgeford is the creative force behind Found A Fin and Bask Life.

His work is inspired by a journey of illness, recovery and a desire to celebrate the Surf Coast’s surfing culture.

A graphic designer by trade, Bridgeford grew up in Anglesea, surfing the local breaks and creating art by hand and on his laptop.

His work soon caught the attention of some of Australia’s leading surf magazines, launching a decade-long career as an art director.

After later joining the family business importing kitchens and luxury barbecues from the United States, Bridgeford and his young family moved to Jan Juc to be closer to his favourite surf break, Winkipop, and the lifestyle they had always dreamed of.

 

Then, in 2017, everything changed.

Bridgeford contracted Ross River virus after being bitten by a mosquito, leaving him bedridden and largely unable to leave the house for three years.

“I woke up one day and could hardly move. I became a professional sleeper,” he said.

“Everything was foggy, inflamed and really difficult. I knew pretty quickly I couldn’t go back into the workforce.”

With chronic pain limiting what he could do, Bridgeford poured what little energy he had into walking his dog along Winkipop.

 

“I was in no position to surf. If fatigue hit in the water, I could have been in trouble,” Bridgeford said.

He began collecting surfboard fins and documenting them on social media under the handle, Found A Fin.

A community grew from it, and for Bridgeford, so did a sense of purpose.

“It was my way of getting through my illness,” he said.

“I always wondered after losing so many fins out in the lineup, there must be crabs cruising around with fins on their back.

“I couldn’t do art, so it was the tranquillity of being out in the wild and enjoying the coast in a new way.”

His collection now spans hundreds of fins, each carrying the marks of its own journey.

 

Many have become historical artefacts. Others serve as inspiration for art and some are returned to their original owners.

“The love of this and connecting again really ignited a flame of creativity in me,” Bridgeford said. “Nature became the artist.”

Years of walking the reef at Winkipop passed, and slowly his strength and determination shone through.

Just after the pandemic, Bridgeford picked up the pencils again.

He embraced his inability to draw a straight line, allowing unique pieces shaped by his tremors to form.

“My body started healing and it was like having a plaster cast lifted off my body,” he said.

 

“I rebuilt myself, learnt how to clench my fist again, hold pencils, paintbrushes and use my hands in every way.

“I tried to use my art to rebuild my strength in a slow way.

“It took time but I got there.”

As his health stabilised, Brideford began experimenting with new materials and new ideas.

 

A partnership with local surfboard shaper Corey Graham saw him move into working with foam surfboards and resin.

Having never worked with either material before, Bridgeford spent hours in his shed learning their intricacies.

He crafted resin key rings and fins and sculptures, pairing this work with recycled fabric and rope paintings that utilise materials that have been saved from landfill.

“My motivation comes from essentially the joy of what surfing brings people, and the celebration of surfboard shapers doing what they do for the average punter,” Bridgeford said.

 

“Working up to resins and foam has certainly been harder on the hands, and in turn, it’s helped me to heal and relearn.

“The last three years really has been an acceleration of my hard work. I’ve worked mentally and physically to rebuild myself back into society.”

His recovery has since led to commissions for the World Surf League and Rip Curl, while he continues developing personal projects born from his love of the coast.

“My mind and physical ability have been awoken, and I have that joy of completing a project or two each week,” he said.

“My focus now is turning these recycled items into the joy they gave people in the first place.

 

“I live each day how my body is, and I just try to achieve something little each minute.”

Bridgeford has also been able to return to the water for a short surf sessions with his family.

The stoke, he said, he very much back alive.

“It’s been huge to have a few waves with the kids and see them from the water instead of the beach,” Bridgeford said. “I know not to overdo it, but gosh it feels great.”

To learn more, visit basklife.com.au.