Before Sunrise with Cole Sternberg: An Ocean-Bound Art Experiment
At 4:30 A.M. on a June Monday, while most of the world was still fast asleep, we were wide awake and gearing up for a mini adventure. From Herron House’s home base in Costa Mesa, we hit the road, heading north to Ventura to meet up with long-time friend, collaborator, and visionary artist, Cole Sternberg.
We’ve spent plenty of time with Cole over the years—visiting his LA studio-turned-fire-relief-center and his sprawling ranch (complete with a one-man tequila bar installation in the basement). But this visit was different. This time, we were meeting Cole at sea.
Art, Water, and Wind
Cole met us at the dock, already windswept and wearing paint-splattered Dickies, standing next to a truck bed overflowing with a rainbow of wrapped canvases. These works were bound for his upcoming solo exhibition at Compound LBC, and today, we were getting a first-hand look at how they come to life—by literally dragging them through the Pacific Ocean.
Cole’s process pushes the boundary between control and chaos. His materials? Fishing line, carabiners, grommets—and a 28-foot fishing boat. One by one, he tossed his canvases into the ocean, letting the motion of the water, wind, and speed of the boat transform the surfaces.
It’s physical, labor-intensive work. As Cole pulled the soaked canvases back onboard, they emerged with wild, unpredictable color washes—snakes of watercolor and acrylic shaped by the sea. While he often does this process on Lake Michigan near his home, today was his biggest effort yet: 78 canvases in one outing.
Nature as Collaborator
Sternberg’s painting practice centers on the environment acting as the true artist. His practice contemplates humanity’s existential quandary: that of being hopelessly destructive, yet forever and inevitably linked with nature. In the gallery, Cole’s pieces look prismatic and fractured—like stained glass softened by ocean spray. The tie-dye-like blending feels almost meditative.
From Ocean to Gallery
Watching a canvas trail behind the boat, unfurling like a flag of color in the wake, it’s hard to believe these works will soon hang pristinely in a gallery—with no hint of their salty, ocean-soaked origins. But that’s the beauty of Cole’s work: it’s as much about process and story as it is about the final image.
For us at Herron House, these moments of connection—being in the field, understanding the artist’s methods—add depth to everything we do. We’re so grateful to Cole for letting us be part of this wild and beautiful morning.