Ricky Swallow (born 1974)
Skull with Bay Leaves, 2007
Oil on plywood skate deck
76 x 19 x 3.5 cm

Flick through current International Contemporary Art sales and you will find skate decks for sale. Yes, that's correct, skateboard art has hit the contemporary art scene. This phenomena is largely due to the New York based company Supreme Skate Decks recently commissioning Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and others, to design skate deck art.

I believe this confidently executed skate deck art by recently NGV surveyed Contemporary Australian artist Ricky Swallows, titled 'Skull with Bay Leaves', outshines the Supreme Skate Deck series. Firstly, this work is an original oil on plywood skate deck. Look closely and you can see the bristle brush marks that are built up to describe the skull’s form. This skull is a reference to both mainstream skate deck art and art history's Vanitas. There is a magic spell quality about those bay leaves tucked behind the skull's check bones. This fine work would sit beautifully within any contemporary art collection.

... view enlargement.