The mid-19th century was characterized by radical changes within society. New theories about man and the universe disrupted the traditional religious views of Christianity – God was dying, but Nietzsche had not yet officially erected his tombstone. The triumph of materialist positivism together with industrialism were beginning to show their first deficiencies, resulting in social and psychological crisis. Intellectuals and artists became advocates of ideals that were critical of civilisation: this can be seen in the literature of Naturalism, in Expressionist Art and in the whole Decadent movement. During this time, when the old values were shaken but the new ones had not yet been fully formed, a wave of irrational and superstitious beliefs washed over the Western World. By the end of the 19th century countless forms of occult beliefs were practiced and a number of secret societies dealing with magic were born.

Supreme Vice's purpose is contemplating our susceptibility to irrational beliefs that often stems from the desire to better understand the natural order of things in a time when God is dead and science is unable to provide us with satisfactory answers. The photographs in Supreme Vice invoke death as the only objective truth of our existence.