Richard Friar

{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Richard Friar | image =  | image_size = | alt = | caption = | occupation = Artist / [[horticulturist]] | style = [[abstract art|Semi-abstract]]<br />[[Abstract expressionism]] | partner = Wendy Harper | website = {{URL|ricfriar.com}} }}

'''Richard "Ric" Friar''' is an English-Australian [[Big wave surfing|big wave surfer]], artist, peace activist, film-maker and [[horticulturist]]. He is known as a pioneer of commercial [[cannabis]] ([[hemp]]) cultivation in Australia.

==Big wave surfing==

Friar is considered a pioneer of 1960s [[big wave surfing]]. In 1966, he was among the first to surf the [[Cribbar]] off [[Towan Head]] in the United Kingdom, along with Peter Russell, John McIlroy and American Jack Lydgate, during that year's ''Great September Swell''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QRtkPgAACAAJ& ''The Surfing Tribe: A History of Surfing in Britain''] by Roger Mansfield (Orca Publications, 2009)</ref> In 2013, Friar contacted locals in Newquay with plans to reunite the group of 1966 Cribbar surfers for the 2016 unveiling of a monument and a "celebration of British surfing" event. He has also announced his and his partner, Wendy Harper's, plans to establish the "International Surfing Pilgrim's Trail" and a ''"global sustainability project"'' called 1GiantWave.<ref>''I took a taxi ride from death!'' by Warren Wilkins ([[Newquay Voice]], 6 March 2013)</ref>

==Horticulture==

In the early 1990s, Friar was humorously dubbed the "King of Poo" by the [[Sydney Morning Herald]]'s quirky ''[[Column 8]]'' for his disposal of manure for the [[Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales|Agricultural Society]] at the [[Sydney Royal Easter Show]]. He continued to pioneer the use of worms, [[mulch]] and [[manure]] in horticulture and established a business selling related products.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/column-8/column-8/2007/11/08/1194329409128.html ''Column 8''] ([[Sydney Morning Herald]], 9 November 2007)</ref>

In 2009, Friar received permission from the [[New South Wales]] [[Department of Primary Industries (New South Wales)|Department of Primary Industries]] for a pilot program to study the potential commercialisation of [[hemp]]. Friar cultivated 500 cannabis plants and suggested potential applications in the "textile and construction industries".<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weed-is-good--hemp-comes-to-the-city-20100201-n8v2.html ''Weed is good – hemp comes to the city''] by Tim Elliott ([[Sydney Morning Herald]], 2 February 2010)</ref> The pilot would also allow consideration of applications including automotive [[fibreglass]], paper and [[biofuel]].<ref name=tele>[http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sydney-gets-its-first-hemp-farm/story-e6frez7r-1225825730822 ''Sydney gets its first hemp farm''] by Joe Hildebrand ([[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]], 2 February 2010)</ref> Friar said Government fears about [[Psychoactive drug|psychoactive]] cannabis had put a stop to what had once been among the world's largest crops.<ref name=tele/>

==Film making and art==

Having semi-retired, Friar and partner Wendy Harper have produced a number of short films about their commercial endeavours and general interests. In 2007, they produced an hour-long documentary about the [[anti-war movement]] in Australia and parallels between it and the [[Aboriginal Australians|Australian Aboriginal]] [[indigenous rights]] movement. Called ''Think About It!'', the documentary starred indigenous actor [[David Gulpilil]] and included commentary from former Prime Minister, [[Malcolm Fraser]], former [[Australian Greens|Greens]] leader, [[Bob Brown]], and Terry Hicks, father of [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay detainee]] [[David Hicks]].<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/joining-the-dots-along-the-chain-of-war/2007/07/13/1183833772817.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 ''Joining the dots along the chain of war''] by Steve Burrell ([[Sydney Morning Herald]], 14 July 2007)</ref><ref>[http://www.echonews.com.au/news/13112-gulpilil-says-give-peace-a-chance/679757/ ''Gulpilil says give peace a chance''] (Northern Rivers Echo, 16 February 2007)</ref> In 2009, Friar produced a short film detailing the social aspects of railway history in Western New South Wales.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/06/01/2583403.htm ''Romance and rail''] by Justin Huntsdale ([[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]], 11 June 2009)</ref>

In 2011, Friar and Harper collaborated with two-time [[Wynne Prize]] winner [[Ian Bettinson]] to create a series of semi-[[abstract art]]works and poetry.<ref>[http://origin.manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/partnerships-magic/ ''Partnership's magic for northern beaches'']{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} by Andrew Priestley ([[Manly Daily]], 5 September 2011)</ref> Over three weeks, the artists jointly created 30 works of art that were subsequently featured at the live exhibition version of [[Grand Designs Australia]].<ref>[http://origin.manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/grand-designs-on-artists/ ''Grand Designs on beaches artists'']{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} by Andrew Priestley ([[Manly Daily]], 14 October 2011)</ref> The paintings were displayed with corresponding poetic works written by Harper.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/thirty-paintings-in-three-weeks-new-friends-jam-together-20110924-1kqhc.html ''Thirty paintings in three weeks: new friends jam together''] by Sarah Whyte ([[Sydney Morning Herald]], 25 September 2011)</ref>

Friar is known for using [[wood ash]] and other unusual [[artistic medium]]s as well as bark, leaves and grass in place of paint brushes.<ref>[http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/burnt-offerings-make-the-art-blossom/ ''Burnt offerings make the art blossom''] by Emma Page (Mosman Daily, 2 December 2011)</ref> Also in 2011, Friar controversially used the ashes from his son's [[cremation]] to create a series of artworks as a tribute.<ref>[http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/grieving-dad-turned-sons-ashes-into-art/ ''Grieving dad turned son's ashes into art''] by Carleen Frost ([[Manly Daily]], 7 January 2011)</ref> He now produces similar artworks for others.<ref>[http://www.chromaonline.com/paint_talk/ash_artist_richard_friar ''Ash Artist Richard Friar''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034752/http://www.chromaonline.com/paint_talk/ash_artist_richard_friar |date=4 March 2016 }} (Chroma Paint Talk, 7 June 2011)</ref>

==See also== *[[Cannabis in Australia]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friar, Richard}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian anti-war activists]] [[Category:21st-century Australian artists]] [[Category:Australian surfers]] [[Category:British cannabis activists]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Australian drug policy reform activists]]