In addition to skateboarding, art is the other foundation of Supreme. The brand has been heavily influenced by a variety of artists and styles, including the inspiration (or appropriation) of their infamous box logo from Barbara Kreuger. Supreme embraces contemporary pioneers and outsider artists, always being thoughtful with their art and artist collaborations. This focus on sourcing cultural authenticity has always made Supreme’s collaborations feel unexpected yet obvious. Supreme’s artist collaborations date back to the brand’s beginning, but we picked some of our favorite mashups that showcase these cutting-edge partnerships.
George Condo
We begin with Supreme’s 2010 George Condo collaboration. The New Hampshire-born artist first emerged from the East Village art scene in the 1980s. His work merges classical European art with American pop, coining the phrase Artificial Realism to describe his style. Since the ’80s, Condo has been very popular within pop culture. Most recognizably, he designed three pieces for Kanye West’s 2010 album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” Earlier that same year, Supreme tapped the artist to design 3 skate decks, each featuring some of Condo’s well established, painted characters. These decks are considered pretty rare and not too many of them pop up on the secondary market. When a Condo deck does surface, you’ll likely find it selling for over $1,000.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Easily one of the most notable names from our selection of collaborations is the one and only Jean Michel-Basquiat. Basquiat’s work has transcended its 1970s’ Lower East Side, New York beginnings, and has become a staple in today’s fashion scene. Basquiat’s work is known for its graffiti-like designs and rustic script, themes that are present in this 2013 Supreme collaboration. The collection included a set of 4 tees, 4 button-ups, and 2 jackets, each repping original artwork from the late artist. The collaborative set ranges between $150 – $300 nowadays and is a must for any big fan of the SAMO artist.
Urs Fischer
Anti-authoritarianism is a major theme shared between Supreme and their collaborative artists: break the rules, get out of the norm, and go against the status quo. This is apparent with the Urs Fischer collaboration. Fischer’s work is heavily influenced by the anti-art movement of the early 20th century. Anti-art, associated with the dada movement and Marcel Duchamp, questioned the very definition of what constitutes art. Following this questioning, Fischer uses a lot of perishable items to highlight the topic of time, which is evident in his work with Supreme. In 2016, Fischer worked on a collection of skate decks, utilizing a burning cigarette at different points of combustion to represent time and its lasting effects. The decks resell between $600 – $875 (at the time of the writing) on StockX and can be viewed here.
Andres Serrano
When you think of pushing the boundaries, Andres Serrano comes to mind. He is known for utilizing bodily fluids and feces in his work depicting religious figures. In 2017, Supreme collaborated with the artist for what has become one of the most extreme pieces from that year. Each piece displayed Serrano’s out-of-bounds artwork, such as having his “Blood and Semen” on hoodies and a Vans x Supreme sneaker, and his “Piss Christ” on hoodies and tees. This collaboration was met with controversy, with many thinking that it was extremely anti-Christian, despite the fact that Serrano describes himself as Catholic. The “Blood and Semen” hoodie is going for over $800, the Vans x Supreme reselling for over $25o, and the “Piss Christ” hoodie for $280 (at the time of this writing).
Sekintani La Norihiro
Following in the wake of the Andres Serrano insanity, Supreme dropped their collaboration with Japanese artist Sekintani La Norihiro. Using an abundance of color, Norihiro compiles images of objects, body parts, and texts, in a collage-like work, often merging dismembered limbs on a person’s face or a skull with a tube exiting an eye socket. The clothing highlights the artist’s work by bringing out Norihoro’s extreme use of vibrant colors, bringing brightness to the workshirts, coach jackets, and tees making up the collection. The clothing and skate decks can be scooped up from $50 to $154 on StockX.
Thanks for checking out this edition of our Supreme 25th Anniversary content. Stay tuned to the StockX blog throughout 2019 for more featured posts, and check out our entire catalog of Supreme 25th Anniversary content here.
