At a time when skateboarding was taking on a more professional attitude, but still trying to rid its tag of teenage triviality, a marketing war was about to erupt. The nineties were the glory days of subversive and provocative skateboard graphics and the definitive decade in the evolution of skateboarding.
For those unschooled in this subculture, here is a brief synopsis. In the late '80s the market was being dominated by corporate giants who, although not stagnant in their approach to the sport, controlled a niche market that was ready for transformation. Enter the creative genius of Steve Rocco and the collaborative minds of Marc McKee and Sean Cliver, who created the controversial World Industries brand and its other popular subsidiaries. They conquered the market and traditional corporate hierarchy, rewrote the rules and they are the reason we see the sustained breaking of creative boundaries in contemporary skateboard graphics. But it is just a sport, you ask? True, but like all brands, they have an identity and aesthetic that sets them apart from their competitors.
Traipsing around the world is Mr McKee, who has just finished showcasing over 50 of his and Mr Cliver's original works in one of the largest skateboard art retrospectives ever seen in Australia. Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast have been privy to these works that had previously found their way to our shores via acclaimed shows in America, Japan and Germany.
World Industries were not afraid to tackle mainstream issues in the public arena and opened many eyes with their graphic's addressing of racism, gun control, globalisation and censorship. Mr Cliver and Mr McKee in particular were known for being the first skateboard graphic designers to enter in to the reproduction of cartoon character images, a departure from the stock standard skulls and "punk" images dominating the market at the time. This introduced an element of parody, wit and humour that went so far as to mock their competitors' designs.
Popular culture icons were distorted and had censorship red tape all over them. Mr McKee and Mr Cliver bordered on copyright infringement on numerous occasions, but rather than derail this "by mistake" company, renegade public relations and the resulting advertising campaigns ensured cult status among collectors and skateboarders alike.
A testament to the serious nature of skateboard art can be seen at online art websites with bidding reaching over one thousand dollars for first issue pieces. Collectors around the world trade in the iconic Powell, Alva and Vision skateboard decks and many other brands, along with original skate decks that have been individually painted on by unknowns to names synonymous with skateboard art – Ed Templeton, Mark Gonzalez and Jason Lee. If you are in Brisbane in June, look out for "I used to skate once", a skateboard art collective of over 30 artists at The Outpost gallery in Fortitude Valley. In its fourth year, it is gaining momentum as a must-see exhibition of this unique subculture.
Steve Rocco is famous for once saying: "Only in retrospect can we now look back and see the thin line we walked was closer to insanity than the premeditated genius that people often give us credit for. However, success quickly transforms pea-brains into prophets." Steve Rocco is loved and hated by industry insiders, whether it be through jealousy or genuine detest, but there can be no denying the foresight Mr Rocco had and his ability to guarantee record sales figures, and at the same time keeping all guessing. What will he, Mr McKee and Mr Cliver do next?
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