Supreme, New York

A collection of 152 full-sized Supreme skateboard decks, published by Supreme, New York between 2008-2019

Footnotes

Provenance
Supreme, New York
Acquired by the present owner between 2008 and 2019


Founded over twenty-five years ago by James Jebbia, Supreme began as a small storefront on Lafayette Street in downtown Manhattan. This boutique, dedicated entirely to the world of skateboarding, would soon become an international phenomenon and one of the most instantly recognizable brands around the world. A famously limited supply is what separates Supreme from other streetwear brands, with notoriously long lines of fans and collectors queued for city blocks, it instantly became the epicenter of New York skate culture. With a dedicated cult following amidst the skateboarders and artists of Manhattan, Jebbia refashioned the gritty image of this subculture in the mold of contemporary art – presenting garments and accessories in-store with the polish and elegance of a luxury brand or gallery.

It was this cross-pollination of styles, designs and motifs that identified Supreme as a breakthrough presence in the industry, attracting the attention of outsiders and individuals who appreciated the spirit of appropriation, collaboration and experimentation. The brand with the box logo got their start openly adapting artist Barbara Kruger's style ̶ the white Futura font on a red field is inspired by Kruger's use of an identical text treatment in many of her best-known works. From the infamous design of the now iconic logo to the signature t-shirts, Supreme has garnered such recognition thanks to this synthesis of "high" art and "low" culture; none better illustrated than across the undersides of Supreme skateboard decks.

Visual art has always been an integral part of skate culture. Blending artistry and sport through deck design and various media, skate brands have collaborated with numerous designers and artists, but never on such a level as Supreme. Skate culture has a rich history of creatives who would often decorate and customize their boards with graffiti, paint, stickers and more to reflect their individuality. It was the idea to have Supreme skateboards serve as blank canvases for the masters of contemporary art that brought these artist collaborations to the forefront. Since its inception, Supreme worked with renowned street artists Rammallzee and Dondi White, and over the years expanded to collaborate with some of the most iconic visual artists of the contemporary art world. The series of artist-collaborative skateboard decks that Supreme began in 1998 demonstrate how the label pioneered a movement that influenced luxury fashion houses to adopt collaborative lines as a key aspect of their business, from Adidas to Louis Vuitton and Raf Simons. Supreme's cultural influence was cemented by bridging the gap between contemporary art, street culture, and skateboarding.

With 152 skatedecks in pristine condition, this collection is a testament to the keen eye and dedication of the present owner. A collection of original, full-size Supreme decks produced between 2008-2019, featuring such momentous artists as KAWS, John Baldessari, Cindy Sherman, Raymond Pettibon, Mike Kelley, Nan Goldin, Dash Snow, Urs Fischer, and Gilbert & George, amongst others, the 152 objects that comprise the present lot are impeccable, rare works of art that speak to the cultural significance of Supreme as a generation-defining brand. Collaborating with artists since the beginning of the series, Jebbia and Neville Wakefield curated a selection of artists with both personal ties to the label, as well as boundary-pushing, seminal artists of their respective generations, to design the limited-run pieces.

Released in 2015, the skateboard decks produced by Larry Clark are undoubtedly some of the most important and exclusive works from the collection. Celebrating twenty years since the release of Clark's controversial film Kids (1995), Supreme's collaboration with the film director and photographer celebrates not only one of the first pieces of cinema to explore the raw experience and intricacies of youth culture, but reflects upon Supreme's own closeness to the production having supplied garments for the cast, which included two original Supreme team skateboarders. This attention to detail and shared histories echoes throughout the collaborations featured here, not least in those of Dash Snow and Harmony Korine, who were similarly young artists and creatives on the Downtown scene.

In 2016, Supreme released a deck set with Swiss artist Urs Fischer, whose great inspiration has been anti-art and anti-authoritarian directions of Neo-Dada. For this limited edition, Fischer created three decks depicting a cigarette in different degrees of degradation, entitled Fried, Toasted and Baked. Using everyday objects as art, Fischer contemplates the passage of time and its effects on these objects.

In 2017, the brand collaborated with American photographer Cindy Sherman on two decks that feature her works Untitled #181 and Untitled #175 from her Disaster Series. Though Sherman may be best-known for her works depicting female stereotypes in classic cinema or Untitled Film Stills, it is fitting that her Supreme collaboration highlights some of her more subversive work. From 1987 to 1989, Sherman's Disaster series, explored the grotesque subject matter in settings where the artist is hardly or not at all present. Untitled #181 and Untitled #175, show disturbing scenes of food messes, as if one found a Thanksgiving meal in a dumpster, or a sidewalk of exploded cupcakes and vomit.

One of the largest collections of the highly sought-after full-size Supreme skateboard decks, purchased by the present owner over the last decade, the present lot is an outstanding testament to the history of a streetwear brand that grew into a cultural icon. The skateboard decks have quickly become collector's items, not just for skateboarders or stylists, but for art collectors for whom the limited-edition pieces represent fascinating alternative works by major artists. Engaging and emboldening the tired post-punk aesthetic of SoHo in the 1990s by working closely with leading contemporary artists, these skateboard decks are a collection of individual works of art that represent the cutting-edge of fashion and contemporary art, as well as the exceptional results of an extraordinary collaborative practice.