PARIS.- On May 16th, Artcurial will host C.R.E.A.M., a unique and pioneering retrospective auction looking back onto 3 decades of urban culture in the United States. This event will only be revealed one week prior to the public exhibition and ten days prior to the auction. Through the prism of the works of art and inescapable destiny of the Supreme brand, Artcurial, already a precursor in Urban Art promotion throughout the international art market, is considering the emergence of urban culture as an artistic and fundamental societal factor in the recent evolution of western societies.

«Now a worldwide manifestation, urban culture was developed in the United States representing art (with artists such as Kaws or Barry Mc Gee), music, fashion, skateboard and countless every day, now cult objects. In 30 years, icons of this new creative universe have invaded our society, becoming collector items. » ---Fabien Naudan, Vice President 20th Century, Artcurial

« Similar to the Beautiful Losers exhibition of 2004, C.R.E.A.M. looks back to the origins and multiple accents of the protean urban scene that showcased iconic American East and West-coast artists of street culture and all of its derivatives. Artists such as Barry McGee and Todd James opened the way to the current development of Urban art. » ---Arnaud Oliveux, specialist Urban Art, Artcurial

A first-time project on urban culture
In the past three decades, what started out as a protest movement from the minority communities evolved into a new style of artistic expression, then a mainstream culture currently irrigating all creative sectors of contemporary society.

While the 1990’s were experimental, particularly with the development of an alternative underground arts and music scene, urban culture begins to assert itself in the year 2000. Little by little, experimentation makes way to a more official format that appears in galleries and concepts stores such as Colette in Paris. A business emerges. Growing exponentially in the following decade, it takes on a life of its own. The artistic approach is now organised, globally promoted. Early creative adventurers become unavoidable prescribers, defining the new order and international taste.

For the first time, a traditional auction will present the true DNA of this urban scene. It covers all sectors from Urban Art to streetwear, focusing of the last 3 decades of urban culture in the United States (New York and Los Angeles).

Richard Prince, Barbara Kruger, Futura and many others fed the scene with their codes, aesthetics and visual punch-lines. Barry Mc Gee, Kaws, Phil Frost, José Parla or Neck Face effortlessly took the lead, propelling visual limits of this remarkable urban energy even further.

Can we define the sources, the markers, the icons of this now deified universe? How did this "school of re-appropriation and diversion" become the creative sap of contemporary creation art or mode today? "Fooled you" could be a logo on a Supreme tee-shirt.

Through a set of close to 150 lots, including original works by Richard Prince, Barry McGee, José spoke and Futura, prints and sculptures by Kaws, Todd James, Christopher Wool and Barbara Kruger but also an exclusive selection of rare and coveted Supreme objects and clothing, a tribute to the past 30 years of creation.

Artistic testimonies of this period mostly represent everyday objects, now collector pieces. They are coveted by a whole generation of collectors from 15 to 50 years of age, who have shared the emergence and recognition of this urban culture. They identify themselves with a certain lifestyle and are also recognized in design pieces by Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé. It is this universal and communal spirit that Artcurial wished to transcribe in the catalogue with atmospheric photos, prone to mix genres and faded borders.

Artcurial has been accompanying this environment for more than 10 years as a precursor, now an integral part of contemporary art. Recent records obtained by the Urban Art department demonstrate this trend, with pieces such as Dark continent of king by Dondi White, sold for a record price of €97,500 , Rodeo Girl by Bansky for €379 500 € or the spectacular Companion by Kaws for €380,000.

Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me
In 1994, legendary New York rappers Wu-Tang Clan sang this popular chorus which became an anthem for an entire generation. C.R.E.A.M, a single off their first album, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 chambers)”, still resonates around the world as one of the band’s most popular hit.

That same year in New York, while the city was earning its spots as the beating heart of contemporary culture, a small boutique dedicated entirely to the world of skateboarding opened its doors. Located at 274 Lafayette Street, Supreme was still unaware that it would become an international phenomenon and the symbol of an entire generation.

Under James Jebbia’s guidance the brand continued to evolve using a hidden formula based wholly on this talented visionary. Season after season he brought urban (even street) culture into the highest circles of society where artists and collectors met. The brand with the “box logo” got their start openly adapting artist Barbara Kruger’s style, before becoming a blank slate where the biggest artists of the time such as Damien Hirst, Richard Prince, Christopher Wool or even Takashi Murakami could express themselves with flair. These collaborations helped ensure the brand’s success and expand upon a catalogue already full of artists from the Graffiti scene like Futura, Rammellzee and KAWS.

Dreaming of cultural democratization, James Jebbia found his solution by creating Supreme skateboards which, served as canvases for the masters of contemporary art. While art was taking to the streets, Supreme was taking the stairs all the way up to the penthouses of the era’s great collectors. His idea opened doors, pushed boundaries, broke down barriers and above all created a new medium for the overflowing creativity of the time.

After skateboards became something worth collecting, toys were the next objects to receive the famous artists’ touch and to steal the title of “works of art” from more traditional oil paintings.

In capitals around the world urban clothing continued to be contaminated by artists who next went on to tackle shoes. Sneaker culture began to spread as rapidly as a forceful epidemic. Collecting sneakers became an international sensation brilliantly fueled by limited editions, which, were created by brands with seemingly endless creativity and launched at the best-kept secret events in New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles or London. After New York, London and Tokyo… Paris wasn’t far behind.

Pushed center stage by an unexpected musical explosion, it was in Paris that street culture earned its first signs of true legitimacy. Indeed, in 2001, then head of Louis Vuitton Marc Jacob’s choice to have street artist Stephen Sprouse bring a breath of fresh air to the famous monogrammed pattern (which to many was considered blasphemous), was, to street culture, practically a légion d’honneur. Evidently this was a subtle sign of what was to come in the following decade.

Today street culture is perhaps not as rebellious or spontaneous as it once was. Official ceremonies and red carpets almost never go by without a star in sneakers and internet and social media have transformed secret launches into a global treasure hunt paced by product drops and Instagram posts.