Subliminal Projects is pleased to present DIY: The History of Creative Culture in Skateboarding, curated and created by Jürgen Blümlein of FauxAmi Exhibitions and The Skateboard Museum (Berlin), Todd Huber of Skatelab and the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, and FACT. . The exhibition will feature skateboards, clothing, zines, various ephemera and artifacts integral to the legacy of DIY culture in skateboarding. In conjunction with the opening of the exhibition, Subliminal Projects founder Shepard Fairey will release a limited edition print.

The skateboard of today is an evolution from its original makeshift creation by scrappy and inventive adolescents who took wooden boxes, or boards and attached roller skate wheels to the bottom. As the skateboard itself began to evolve into a commercial product, self-adornment of the boards was common, as kids desired to create their own identities and make their boards distinctive.

By the 1970’s, skateboard culture had developed not just as a sport, but as a creative community of subversives. Artists such as Wes Humpston and Jeff Ho hand-painted their boards, and skateboard graphics became an intrinsic part of subculture. During the 1980’s, the industry’s popularity took a turn and the death of commercial skate parks across the country lead to the emerging scene of DIY backyard ramps and sidewalk jump-ramps, setting the platform for street skating, which dominated the scene in the 1990’s.

Skateboarding has always been associated with counter-culture and disruption, regardless of the ebbs and flows of its popularity. As a byproduct of that mindset, an ethos of anti-establishment and anti-mainstream commercialism has remained a constant; this attitude is not only expressed through the act of skateboarding itself, but in the form self-published zines, DIY clothing and brands built out of garages, design, fine art and music. DIY: The History of Creative Culture in Skateboarding is a tribute to the skaters, artists, writers, and musicians who utilized the Do-it-yourself philosophy to pave the way for a unique culture to emerge worldwide.