Carlsbad: the new street art installation by Bryan Snyder | Photo: Snyder Art

Carlsbad awoke to a giant great white shark and accompanying surfer installed by resident and artist Bryan Snyder.

The street installation reveals the silhouette of a life-sized shark appearing through a blue tarp as the sun sinks behind the fence.

Simultaneously, a scared surfer looks over his shoulder as an advancing fin sticks up in the air above the top of the fence.

Bryan Snyder has been creating public art projects in the local streets of Carlsbad for over a decade.

With his latest artwork installed on Carlsbad Village Drive, the contemporary artist aimed to transform an ordinary construction perimeter fence into something worth looking at.

"Construction tarps are all over the village, but what made this one stand out was the way it glowed as the sun dropped behind it," explained Snyder.

"My goal was to create a relationship between art, nature, and the urban environment while adding some creativity to our local streets.

Bryan Snyder: he wants to raise awareness to uncontrolled real estate development in Carlsbad | Photo: Snyder Art

Street Art and Politics

Carlsbad is becoming known for street art, and Bryan Snyder is a relevant part of the local Carlsbad artistic movement.

Initially, the artist wanted to bring attention to the increasing amounts of shark attack events that are taking place across the planet.

But after a few online chats, Snyder changed the concept behind it and associated the graphic shark with real estate development and the surfer with a threatened surf break.

"There is an obvious connection with it being on a construction fence. Carlsbad sees large-scale developments on every corner, and my art reflects the local voice," adds Bryan Snyder.

Throughout his career, Snyder has not always used his art as a political and social weapon. Instead, he opted for creating a straightforward relationship between his works and the surrounding environment.

Snyder is looking forward to getting feedback from the community and suggests that the best viewing hours are on clear evenings, just before sunset, between 5 and 7:30 pm.

Top Stories

The small fishing town of Bathsheba in Barbados is home to one of the most surprising right-hand reef breaks on the planet. Here's what makes Soup Bowl such an incredible wave.

Kelly Slater and Kalani Miller announced they are expecting a baby. It's a boy.

Surfing is all about working the unbroken wave face and maximizing riding time. But how can you optimize and balance these two goals that cancel each other out?

Big waves don't just appear out of nowhere. The formation of abnormally large swells is a sum of layers, normally invisible to the human eye.