WATCH OUT FOR THE UNDERTOAD

All of the art in this body of work, Watch Out for the Undertoad, reference lines from the book and movie titled The World According to Garp. It’s great and you should read the book by John Irving and watch the movie starring Robin Williams.

In the story, the family lives in New Hampshire and spends time at the beach. The entire community is invested in talking about the pull of the ocean, and conversations are often about the power of the undertow, which is the force the waves can exert when retreating from the beach back to the ocean.

Walt, the youngest son, misunderstands and believes his parents are warning him to watch out for the under toad. Of course, for a young child, there could very well be a powerful toad that lives under the water and pulls people into the ocean.

I think of this line often when I see surf to sand. Maybe you do too. Or maybe you will now.