Journey

I started off this project exploring shoes as an object, but as my work progressed I found myself finding meaning through the representation of the object of shoes itself. Looking deeper into what the shoe represents.

With the first assignment, taking photographs of our theme or subject of exploration I began with just snapping shots on a public transit. As I got more into the assignment I soon realized that the pair of shoes that someone wears could tell a story of their own. The essay on film photography and digital photo manipulation enhanced my thinking of photography as a whole. My understanding and knowledge of photographs itself was changed. I learnt how film photography has evolved dramatically into something totally new that we know as digital photography. Personally I believe any amateur can do digital photography, but in film photography you only have one shot and one needs to obtain true skills to produce an artistic photo. I have great respect like no other for those who shoot film.

With every course there is always something new and different to take from it. Being the first time using a video camera and editing videos it was quite a fun and tedious experience. I started with an idea in my head for the video assignment, but as my work progressed it only got better and more challenging. I experimented with the many functions and features taking my simple tapping shoe video into a rhythmic taping sensation.

Working through this course we needed to connect our theme throughout every assignment. As I researched more and more into shoes I started to find myself seeking the representation of shoes as the embodiment of our souls. Shoes are a symbol of the path we take. For my third assignment the performance piece I decided to find out what brands of shoes students wore. I went around tracing their shoes and writing down their brands.

My work progressed with the shoe prints I had drawn from my last assignment. With every shoe print I used it as step they took in life. For my final assignment I combined the shoe prints with photos of my own friends and family. I taped all my photos on to the wall, scattered and not in any particular order. Then I took the shoe prints and placed them some facing the opposite ways, some going the same direction and some on top of one another. Using each print to represent a person. The prints showed how some people in their lives will never meet, some will walk along the sides of one another and some will be closely connected may it be a friendship or relationship.

From the start of this course I have taken a simple everyday object and slowly turned into a representation of the steps that some one will take in life. So, never look down at something you take for granted.

Shoe Map

Street Shoes

Steps

do the shoes lead us or do we lead the shoes?

SPEED THROUGH TIME

SHOES WITH BLADES

Jamie Sale and David Pelletier captured the world's imagination with their flawless performance at the 2002 Salt Lake City winter Olympics. The judges scandal that was revealed when they were first awarded only a silver medal made them household names. The re-evaluation of their performance and the new knowledge of judge-tempering resulted in them being awarded a well-deserved gold medal.

The above skates are donated by Jamie and David to be shown in the Bata Museum. Sale's boots were made in the U.S. by Riedell and her blades, customized with her name, were made by John Wilson Skates, England. Pelletier's skates were made in Canada by Graf and his Ultima freestyle blades are Canadian too.

Famous shoes- Elton John

REAFFIRMED

The history of 20th century men's footwear is more a study in subtle style shifts than radical reinventions of the shoe. Classics such as oxford and spectator became staples of male attire and served to reaffirm rather than redefine masculinity. The few times over the century that shoe designers challenged convention and introduced new shapes into men's shoes stand out as remarkable anomalies in men's dress.

REVOLUTIONIZED

Some of the most remarkable transformations in women's footwear happened during the first three decades of the 20th century. As hemlines rose, boots were abandoned and shoes increasingly became a fashion focus. Their design also began to reflect the shifting mores and desires of the modern age. The T-straps of the 1920's signaled the speed would define the era and the glamourous sandals of the 1930s ushered in the age of relaxed elegance.

REDEFINED

The 1940s, 50s and 60s were pivotal decades in the history of women's shoe design. The innovative platforms of the war years continue to inspire shoe designers today. The invention of the stiletto in the early 1950s, refined the high heel to its most elegant form and established it as a feminine icon. The introduction of wit and whimsy in 1960s shoe design suggested that shoes could express a sense of levity in one's fashion statement

REIMAGINED

By the end of the 20th century, shoes became objects of desire for many women. The funky designs of the 1970s captured the era. Footwear in the 1980s reflected the strong postmodern aesthetic of the decade. The 1900s saw the rise of the celebrity shoe designer and elevation of the shoe to one of the most important accessories in a well-dressed woman's wardrobe.

In ballet, the pointe shoe is considered an elegant extension of the dancer's body. The shoes are generally three sizes smaller than the woman's street shoe, and only last for one performance. These pink silk pointe shoes have ever been used, the dancer who wears them will customize them to her needs. (Russia, 1997)

This pair of red silk booties is embroidered with powerful dragon symbols. Dragons are mythical beasts, long celebrated for their benevolence, intelligence and goodwill. Chinese children's clothing and footwear is often decorated with dragons and other animals as a symbolic way of protecting them from harm. (China, early 20th century)

Boots with curvaceous Louis heels were de rigueur for fashionably dressed women at the dawn of the 20th century. Many boots of the period incorporated 'menswear' styling. This pair was designed to look as if the wearer was sporting a pair of white spats. (American, 1900)

Artist Statement

Have you ever thought of your daily routines? You wake up in the morning, brush your teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast and then perhaps head out of your house for the day. There are so many details in between that people miss out and do not pay attention to. This blog discusses about something people wear everyday and since the years it has become an essential in our lives. SHOES. Have people always just bought them, worn them then thrown them out when they are out of style or worn out? Shoes have changed progressively over time. Starting out being a protection for the foot, to now becoming a decoration itself. Time, culture and place changes a pair of shoes.

You could say they take us everywhere or that they follow us where ever we go. There is a lot more to shoes than just the prints they leave as we travel through and around.

A pair of shoes can change your life. Just ask Cinderella.