Sotheby's to Auction Complete Archive of Supreme Skate Decks

Sotheby's welcomes fans of Supreme, streetwear, skateboard culture and contemporary art & design to view the entire archive in our New York galleries, open for public exhibition through January 20.

The archive was exhibited in December 2018 at Jason Vass Gallery in downtown Los Angeles. Titled Inferno, the show was curated by Jason Vass and Christion Lennon and presented in collaboration with StockX—the online peer-to-peer marketplace for verified authentic sneakers, streetwear, handbags, watches and more, whose team authenticated each deck in the archive for the exhibition.

Ryan Fuller said: "This unique collection is the only one of its kind in existence including every deck that Supreme has ever released, dating all the way back to 1998. It represents a full range of decks including general releases, extremely limited artist's collaborations, and both the recalled (unofficial) Louis Vuitton monogram print decks from the year 2000 and the official Louis Vuitton deck and trunk from 2017. Older releases become increasingly difficult to find as years go by, and it is therefore likely that this will remain the only complete collection in private hands."  

Ryan Fuller continued: "When I decided to sell my collection, I know that Sotheby's was the right fit. Similar to Supreme, Sotheby's is the most distinguished leader in their field, and will have an international reach to give collectors all over the world the opportunity to bid on this one-of-a-kind collection of art, fashion and Supreme history all rolled into one."

Noah Wunsch, Sotheby's Vice President of Global Digitial & Marketing Strategy, commented: "The intermingling narratives of skate culture, art, New York City and the evolution of Supreme's brand is amazing to behold. We are thrilled to bring Rayn's singular collection to auction for the first time."

Josh Luber, CEO of StockX said: "As the largest online marketplace in the world for Supreme products, it was a natural fit for us to sign on to authenticate for the Inferno exhibition what is the largest single collection of Supreme skate decks in the world. We are thrilled to have partnered with Rayn, Christion and the Sotheby's team to help make this collection accessible."

ARTIST COLLABORATIONS

The archive features collaborations with an impressive number of contemporary artists and artist estates, including: two sets featuring Damien Hirst's iconic 'spot' and 'spin' techniques, respectively, both produced in 2009; a set of all three decks in collaboration with Rammellzee, part of a collection of hats, t-shirts, and backpacks and Supreme's first artist collaboration that included apparel; a set of three decks based on Jeff Koons' 'Monkey Train,' and a set of decks featuring George Condo's signature portraiture (pictured above).

LOUIS VUITTON MONOGRAM DECKS

The archive features two sets that chart Supreme's relationship with Louis Vuitton -- from instigator to collaborator. In 2000, Supreme released an unauthorized set of three Louis Vuitton monogram decks, which were recalled after only two weeks when the luxury brand threatened legal action due to copyright infringement. In 2017, with the rise of streetwear as a major fashion inspiration, the two brands collaborated on the Louis Vuitton x Supreme collection that was introduced in Louis Vuitton's Fall-Winter 2017 Menswear show. That collection included the Supreme Louis Vuitton Boite Skateboard Trunk—including a deck, tool kit, trucks, wheels, and a shoulder strap—that is another highlight of the present archive.

'THE LAST SUPPER' SET WITH JAPAN-ONLY RELEASE

Released in 2002, Supreme produced a set of five decks depicting the central portion of Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper.' A sixth board with an image of Christ  on the deck was exclusively released in Japan.