Full Deck: A Short History of Skate Art
July 5 – September 13, 2009

Full Deck: A Short History of Skate Art presents an anthology of skate art from the 1960’s to the present. The skate artist’s aesthetic—raw, passionate, and personal—is energized by a devotion to the act of skating and a DIY embrace of skate culture.

Since the first graphic was drawn onto a board, the culture of skateboarding has grown hand-in-hand with visual arts movements such as the Mission School (Barry McGee, Chris Johanson), Pop Art, and graffiti. The skate culture’s embrace of individual style, approach, and intention is what continues to draw new skaters to this renegade art practice—a hybrid in a realm of its own. And like the inclusive surf community, skaters and skate artists span several generations.

The multi-media skate art community fosters a highly unique blend of graphics, painting, photography, video, music, stickers, magazines, and clothing—the ever-growing creative by-products stemming from this popular sport and alternative mode of transportation. The eye-catching images on the bottom of these skateboards are one of the purest forms of self-expression: highly personal and mostly created without artistic boundaries—just like skateboarding itself.”

Carrie Lederer, Curator of Exhibitions & Programs

Exhibition preview

Artists include
Sandow Birk • Neil Blender • Todd Bratrud • Sean Cliver • Lori D. • Ken Davis • Skip Engblom • Jeremy Fish • Justin Forbes • Todd Francis • Mike Giant • Mark Gonzales • Keith Haring • Evan Hecox • Damien Hirst • Wes Humpton • Faye Jaime • Ian Johnson • V. Courtlandt Johnson • Bryce Kanights • Obi Kaufman • Natas Kaupas • Mike Kershnar • Krayola • Billy Kroft • Tom Ledin • John Lucero • Amanda Lynn • Chris Main • Gwen Manfrin • Marc McKee • Mike Miller • Marilyn Minter • Mofo • Johnny Mojo • Lance Mountain • Takashi Murakami • Don Pendleton • Jim Phillips • Jimbo Phillips • Pushead • Matt Ritchie • Jenny Schmid • Kirk Shelton • Chase Tafoya • Winston Tseng • Usugrow • Jake Watling • Derek Weisberg • Tobin Yelland • and many more

Lenders
Mark Aviles • Andrew Caulfield • Sam Cunningham • Marc D’Estout • Corey Duffel/Foundation • Nathan Larramendy • Ryan Maddox • Chris Main • Steve Muegge • Ann Trinca • Dan Worden • NHS/Cari Herod & Myche Howe • Skateworks/Jason Strubing • SLAP/Mark Whiteley & Erik Olsen • StreetCornerSkate/Tony Vitello • Thrasher/Gwynn Vitello