Stepping into the Archive

STEPPING INTO THE ARCHIVE: FAIRE DIALOGUER LA CHAUSSURE ET SA REPRÉSENTATION

STEPPING INTO THE ARCHIVE: FAIRE DIALOGUER LA CHAUSSURE ET SA REPRÉSENTATION

An exhibition curated by Lorraine Audric and Parsons Paris MA students from the course Design & Visual Studies 6 - 11 December, 2019 Bibliothèque du Musée des Arts Décoratifs 111 rue de Rivoli Paris 75001

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STEPPING INTO THE ARCHIVE: FAIRE DIALOGUER LA CHAUSSURE ET SA REPRÉSENTATION

Archives are full of images, of representations that we can sometimes no longer understand – or even recognize. If their meanings only emerge in relation to the person viewing them, what might they still tell us about the society and culture that made them? How might we go about reading them today?

Aiming at offering answers to these questions, Parsons Paris MA students from the course Design & Visual Studies present here a series of original and research-based juxtapositions: each time, a critical dialog is created between a document from the archive and one from the outside world.

Exploring the shoe and its strong iconographical presence in the library archive, this curatorial proposition strives to bring the archive to life, by looking at old documents in new ways, by identifying and challenging stereotypes, and by updating the infinite polysemy of the image to question its relationship to reality. What happens when the image becomes more powerful than that which it represents?

11 curators, 11 propositions – step this way please!

Toute archive regorge d’images et de représentations qu’il nous est parfois impossible de comprendre, voire même de reconnaître. Si elles ne font sens que par rapport à la personne qui les regarde, que peuvent-elles encore nous dire sur la société et la culture qui les a produites? Comment nous faut-il les lire, les décrypter aujourd’hui?

Dans le but d’offrir des réponses à ces questions, les étudiants en master du cours Design & Visual Studies de l’université américaine Parsons Paris présentent ici leurs travaux de recherches effectués dans les collections de la bibliothèque et du centre de documentation, sous la forme d’une série de mises en dialogue: chacune juxtapose un document choisi dans les archives et un document ou objet extérieur à la collection.

En explorant le thème de la chaussure et son importante présence iconographique dans les collections de la bibliothèque, cette exposition propose de ramener les archives à la vie en créant des rapprochements inattendus et provoquant des conversations nouvelles, qui visent à questionner le pouvoir des images et la différence entre l’objet et sa représentation.

11 commissaires, 11 propositions – suivez les pas!

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Royal House Printed Catalogue, 1898, Maciet album on shoes, Bibliothèque du Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

THE CATALOGUE OF ONLY ONE OBJECT REYNALDO GOMEZ

Sabotage is the French word for the art and craft of

then by offering the possibility of choice. To do

making clogs —sabots. This tradition has been part

so, they presented different configurations of the

of rural communities for centuries as no other shoe

objects available, which changed offered then the

craft would make a shoe that offers such comfort

possibility of personalization of objects, giving the

and protection in terms of keeping your feet dry and

customer the possibility to select the configuration

distant from the cold and harsh ground, or act as a

and direct the production of objects. The System

shield against the impact of flying objects typical

of Objects, by French sociologist Jean Baudrillard,

from agricultural and manual labor. This kind of

illustrates how the decisions on the design of the

shoes has offered a resistance to disappear, even

objects follow the interest of the class that controls

when 19th century consolidated ways of production

the production of the object and its exchange

started offering new and improved variations of

inside the market or as he calls this process, “the

shoes, represented in the sales catalogue that

socio-ideological system of objects and their

not only pictured different shoe models but also

consumption”.

communicated the idea of personalization when listing a range of choices for the features of a shoe

Baudrillard makes a distinction between the pre-

available to customers.

industrial object and the industrial model: for the first, craftsmanship lacks the means to create exact

With an industrial system able to produce restlessly,

replicas of a model, producing objects that preserve

and an economic system supporting it, new objects

similarity between them but are nonetheless

are designed and consumed every day, with new

unique. For the second s, where in the first, the

shapes and materials, disregarding the fact that the

craftsmen mode of production and the handcraft

previously existing objects —in good conditions—

linked to it would give invariably as a result objects

have already provided a fulfillment of the need that

that could be considered unique, and in the second,

they are intended to solve; as Karl Marx puts it, “It is

the machine-ruled modern way of production would

only by being exchanged that the products of labour

only be able to generate objects related to a model,

acquire, as values, one uniform social status, distinct

or in his words, ‘the model/series dynamic’.

from their varied forms of existence as objects of utility.” Then, objects recognized as products

This dynamic is composed primarily by a model, the

of decorative arts are not necessarily better

desired object to which everyone can theoretically

functioning objects, but rather displays of taste; and

aspire to acquire —if they can afford it, and the

as that, their design has to offer formal features and

series, which are mass-produced references to the

material characteristics that differentiates them

object that give the individual the satisfaction of

from other objects of the same kind.

being able to create a bridge between him and the model.

In order to move the dynamize the market, 19th century shoe companies made a vast use of the

In order to assure sustainability within the market,

catalogue format, being it not a new selling and

the mentioned dynamic offers to the individual the

communications device, but rather innovative back

illusion of choice as a way to introduce slight design

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variations on objects that appear to the buyer as a

Commercially available shoes are not an exception to

‘whole range of choices’, and it is by the individual

these categorisations, and the development of a core

decision of choosing any given object over the other

that can be modified and personalized by adding and

that he is experiencing the sense of freedom on the

subtracting superficial features is the basis of an entire

one hand, and appropriating himself of ‘a place in

industry. This is evident in the 19th century Royal House

the overall economic order’.

A. Labbey shoe catalogue, where several shoe models are presented, listing on their captions the previously

The choice materializes itself in a series of

mentioned possibility of choice: people can now select

objects when the personalization takes place

the material and color of the shoe soles, while keeping

by distinguishing the appearance of the object

the core —the model— intact.

from the other objects from the same series, and then connecting the object —and the buyer— to

On the contrary, the sabot, when presented on its raw

the model. Furthermore, Baudrillard introduces

wooden structure without any other decoration, is a

David Riesman’s concept of marginal differences

resistant object, by means of its materiality and of its

to describe how those variations made by the

position on the industry: the clog consists is the shoe

industry on the series of objects ‘can be met only

and the core of a product at the same time.

in inessentials’, meaning that it is not viable to

Its honesty is expressed by its loyalty to its use value;

modify the functional core of the object but rather

and subsequently it has been granted an absence from

the extrinsec components that do not affect either

the store catalogues. A sabotage, in all its possibilities,

its functional properties.

would be a catalogue of one single object.

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Clogs, Unknown author and date, carved wood, France.

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Benoit Méléard advertisement, Tribeca Magazine, December 2000, Benoit Méléard dossier, Centre de documentation, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

THE GENDER OF SHOES

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NICOLETTE KABITSIS

The sneaker, a universal shoe originating from a

At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, track

rubber overshoe designed in 1892 by U.S. Rubber

runners removed their Puma sneakers before

Company, more commonly known as the designers

mounting the podium to show African-American

of Keds, has seen many forms from its establishment

poverty.

to the present day. From the start of The Converse Rubber Shoe Company’s All Star in 1917 to the

Shoes are also influenced by their wearer in

beginning of the Adidas and Parley for the Oceans

perpetuating

collaboration on a shoe manufactured from recycled

originating as a male design and high heels as a

ocean plastic in 2015, sneaker culture is constantly

woman’s. Sneaker culture enhanced this separation

changing and has adapted away from the realm of

and intensified the masculinity held in sneakers.

a

gender

divide

with

sneakers

sportswear to become an everyday type of shoe. The sneaker holds much more than just a look of fashion

This is evident when analyzing iconic sneakers

or comfort.

The undertones of the sneaker alter

further. In the 1970s in Harlem, as time progressed,

worldwide depending on factors like race, income,

basketball interests rose and so did the ideals of

location, affluence, sexuality, and lifestyle. Born in

masculinity.

1969, French designer Benoit Méléard’s adaptation of

avenues of expression like basketball and hip-

a Nike swoosh alongside a high heel illustrates just

hop, predominantly male activities, as vessels

how rooted sneaker culture is in present day fashion.

for becoming more masculine and proving their

As a staple in any wardrobe, designers worldwide

male-ness towards the general public as a means

began adjusting the parameters of sneakers for

of reclaiming their own status.

different purposes according to filters like the

a historian on sneakers claims, “ New Yorkers in

aforementioned. When observing sneaker culture, it

the basketball and hip-hop community changed

is clear the undertones show the view of the person

the perception of sneakers from sports equipment

wearing the shoes as support behind the company

to tools for cultural expression. The progenitors of

making them, overall, adhering to values put forth

sneaker culture were predominantly ... kids of color

by the brand through its advertising campaigns and

who grew up in a depressed economic era.”

Boys and men were exploring new

Bobbito Garcia,

ultimately, buying an image.

In specific relation to Méléard’s Nike swoosh This is evident when analyzing iconic sneakers

high heel is the all white Nike Air-Force 1.

The

further. In the launch of the Converse All Star, the

collaboration between Méléard’s design and the

Converse marketing team sent the shoes to basketball

Nike swoosh as a cohesive project is unknown, but

coaches and players, including Chuck Taylor, as brand

due to visual culture, the ways in which Méléard’s

ambassadors. Taylor’s appreciation for the sneaker

design has been advertised, allows for a more

enabled the name change from All Star to Chucks.

critical reading between the correlation of the two.

From then on into the 1950s, Chucks embodied not

The sneaker, only worth value when pristine and

only the athlete but also the rebellious teenager

unscuffed, became a popular shoe in Harlem as it

rallying for causes. The importance of the underlying

represented the status of drug dealers and provided

meanings held behind shoe manufacturers and their

instant street credibility because the only people

wearers spans past Converse.

who wore Air Force 1’s were “major hustlers.” At its

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launch, the Air Force 1 was deemed the epitome of

the power and status of an Air Force One but with

masculinity, whereas the high heel acts as a beacon

a bit more height. Wedges, while also a type of

for feminity.

high heel, differ in that the entire sole of the shoe is still in contact with the floor, yet, representing

When comparing the gendered undertones of the

different connotations and social implications, like

Air-Force 1 to Méléard’s Nike swoosh high heel, it

perpetually being cheaper in price, less high, and

is clear the message has been altered. Méléard’s

more comfortable when compared to the luxurious

adaptation has stripped the history of the Air Force

high fashion high heel. This new collaboration

1 sneaker as a symbolic masculin street credit

allowed for the luxury of Méléard’s heel to be more

subculture and turned it into a vehicle for social

accessible for a range of classes rather than just

commentary. His alteration of the sneaker turned

the high class. This collaboration solidified Nike as

the classic Nike brand into a more luxurious form

a brand commonly using their creations as vessels

emphasizing one of France’s best exports, luxury,

for statements.

here playing on the demographics of location, style and money. In 1977, Vogue declared that “real

Sneakers at the center of activist movements are

runner’s sneakers” had become status symbols,

evident throughout history and continue through

worn by famous non-athletes and claimed just

present day issues. They are seen constantly arising

one pair of sneakers was no longer enough, and

on sports fields, with football player Colin Kaepernick

instead, wardrobes needed several different types

who gained a Nike deal after kneeling during the

of sneakers useful for different activities. While

National Anthem in protest of police brutality and

Méléard’s Nike swoosh high heel can be examined

racism against African-Americans in the United

as addressing other issues like comfort, high and low

States, to artists like Brian Jungen who uses Nike

culture or absurdity, specific to the Nike Air Force

shoes to create Aboriginal totem poles and masks,

1, his design encourages this thought of sneakers

supported through collaborative designs between

as status symbols and plagued a historical bias

companies and activists. However, sneaker culture

against women by supporting sneakers as feminine

has been changed alongside these movements. As

only in high heel form. This was done by applying

time progresses, new creations of sneakers, like the

the iconic Nike swoosh alongside a pair of feminine

Air Jordan 11 ‘Jeter’ which retails for $40,000 USD

heels in an attempt to create a shoe with the same

or the Buscemi 100 MM Diamond which retails

type of emphasis on sexuality and status but for

for $132,000 USD, have become less wearable

the high class, altering the sneaker fit in different

and more collectable, being traded amongst other

races, incomes, locations, affluences, sexualitys,

“sneakerheads” or only available to the wealthy.

and lifestyles.

While the sneaker market is constantly growing, many of these shoes are left in boxes, becoming

The combination of the Nike swoosh alongside a

collector items or only worn on specific occasions.

high heel was re-established in 2014 under the street

As shoes are stripped of their undertones or kept

term “heeker” with Nike’s very own creation of the

away for safekeeping, their power is masked and

Dunk Sky Hi Heel, a wedge sneaker encompassing

the history of sneaker culture is sheltered.

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Benoit Méléard advertisement, Tribeca Magazine #23, December/January 2001, Benoit Méléard dossier, Centre de documentation, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

Benoit Méléard Advertisement, Soda Magazine #15, Benoit Méléard dossier, Centre de documentation, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

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Alexander Sauerweid, Reproduction of a drawing depicting a horse-drawn carriage driven by a postillion, 1811, Richard Ernst Jacob Weber, Een Paar Postiljonslaarzen, (Het Nederlandse Postmuseum, 1960), Centre de documentation, MusĂŠe des Arts DĂŠcoratifs, France.

AUDITORY RIDE

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RUCHANAN PATARAPANICH

In 1960, The Dutch Postmuseum (Het Nederlandse

by them, to the riding as control. This three-piece

Postmuseum) published a book entitled Een Paar

exhibit discusses representation of horse-riding as

Postiljonslaarzen​, which means a pair of postillion

symbolisms of power and sexual desire that are

boots. The book is an iconographic study of

associated with the imagery of the animal, and

the “postilion boots,” a kind of shoes worn by a

about the ​mental image​stimulated by the moving

postillion, a person —usually male— who guides

of the horse —its walking, running— and to that of

a carriage mounted on a horse or a pair of them.

ours.

The drawing from 1815 by the German painter Alexander Sauerweid depicts a man riding and controlling the animals. Also, to us, it presents an outmoded means of transport.

Horse Riding, Power, and Libido Symbol The horseback riding, is an action of a man taking control over animals. It is also seen as a symbol of sexuality for horse is a symbol of sexual

Popularity for travelling by horse-drawn carriage decreased

in

mechanical

the

nineteenth

vehicles

became

century more

as

the

developed,

practical, and economical. Toward the twentieth century, the “mechanical horses” like steampowered

vehicles

won

the

battle

against

those of the animal-powered, as is evident by a newspaper article written in England in 1895, which highlighted the death of the carriage as the means of transport, titled “Horseflesh v Steam”.

Animal-powered transport for general use then disappeared in the days of railways and motor car.

desire. Simantically, the verb to ride, to move harmoniously with something in between your legs, denotes the erotic double meaning as the action resembles sexual behavior. In his dream analysis, Sigmund Freud, the Austrian neurologist who founded psychoanalysis theories and therapeutic techniques in the 1890s, reads horse riding as a universal symbol of sexual desire and coitus represented in the more socially accepting forms. In feminist philosophy, horse is related to femininity based on a dualistic separation of feminized “nature/emotion”

from

masculinized

“science/

rationality,” a dualism that is representative of the exclusion of women and animals from masculinized

Although the carriages were powered by horses, it was men who were in control. The boots, usually made of leather and iron, were initially made to prevent the rider from having a leg caught up in between the two horses thus allow him (or her) to be able to control the animals more safely: they provided purely protective function to the rider enabling him/her power over the animals. What primarily characterizes the postilion boots, then, is not the acts of walking for it is the horses who do the walk, not the human. Rather, the boots are for riding. Therefore the approach for the visual analysis is shifted away from the postillion boots themselves toward the empowerment enabled

society,

and

one

that

posits

the

oppressed

animal and woman as “inferior” to man. Thus seeking for freedom is a natural need they share in particular to act “symbolically as a liberating and empowering force from a male-dominated political, social, and personal perspective”. In art, the works by Kandinsky and Picasso, for example, exemplify the representation of horse as a libido symbol. Mordechai Omer, an Israeli art historian, cites the work of the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung in his reading of Picasso’s use of horse iconography. Jung turned to the intimate connection between man and horse in the realms of legend and mythology and wrote that “Various

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other meanings, always recondite, are related to

desires, and lust, as widely repeated in allegorical

the image of the horse. It is often associated with

Christian iconography.

death and the devil and evil, and ‘like all things evil, represents sexuality’. The horse may therefore

Although the source of his exact artistic inspiration

be considered a libido symbol, representative of

for his work is impossible to be clearly stated,

energy and power”.

studying his interest in the medium may lead us closer to where the source was. The glass medium

The symbolism is explicit in the painting on glass

—which Kandinsky thought highly of in his works,

the Rider and Apple Picker (1911) by Wassily

as stated by himself in a note that followed his

Kandinsky. The Russian-born abstractionist painter

autobiographical Rückblicke (​Reminiscences​) — was

portrays erotic excitement by placing the rearing

also employed by the German expressionist painter

horse, a symbol of awakened virility, with the rider

Gabriele Münter, who used to be a student of,

whirling around in the saddle to get another look at

and lived with the Russian master. It was her who

the sinuous, bare-breasted woman picking apples.

urged Kandinsky to work with this brittle and shiny

Reading the symbolism of sexuality may suggest the

material. Through his connection with Münter that

man’s gaze is voyeuristic even though the woman’s

we may have a slice of thought on his inspiration. In

awareness of her admirer remains debatably

a letter addressed to Münter in 1904, he mentioned

ambiguous. The gesture of the ride is expressively

getting free from the mental state that would

gendered: the horse’s upper ventral part between

resonates the Freudian analysis discussed earlier —

the rider’s legs is depicted to be elongated and

the dream. Kandinsky wrote:

upright. His attention and desire turns transversely toward the topless woman picking up the forbidden

“You need not ask for the purpose of this or work

fruit that represents forbidden pleasures, sexual

of mine. All of my works have only one purpose, or rather, reason—I had to make them, because there was no other way I could free myself of certain thoughts (or, perhaps, dreams)”.

Auditory Presence What accompanies the image of horse riding or a running horse is the sound. The brain works in a way that we hear what we see. The experience is visually auditory, and that is also operated conversely, making us picture a mental image of what we hear, in the absence of the sight of a visual object in action. As the horse comes with its sound of rhythmic footsteps, hearing an increasingly louder sound of horseshoes touching cobble-stone street Wassily Kandinsky, Rider and Apple Picker (printed reproduction), 1911, oil on glass, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Vasily Kandinsky Painting on Glass (Hinterglasmalerei): Anniversary Exhibition, exhibition catalog, (Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 1966).

of a past urban means a horse-drawn carriage is approaching. It is revealing its auditory presence to the eyes. Similarly, we may hear the sound from the

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visual of the 1878 “Horse in Motion” by the British

men walking dominates the space, especially for

photographer Eadweard Muybridge​ , although

loud shoes like those with high-heels or hard-thick-

that could not have yet been incorporated in

heavy platforms. Without a glance, the picture of

his

To

the shoes and their wearer appears. In this scenario

apply the late Freudian concept, Muybridge’s

here, the domination of the man riding, overriding,

work, therefore, is a symbolic reproduction of a

and overruling the oppressed, or the suffering as

representational coitus, taken from the realm

in the case of the horses, is absent. The auditory

of the dream, captured and recorded in motion,

presence of the wearer in such context exhibits the

and the sound we may hear from the “horse in

removal of anthropomorphic domination imposed

motion” then could be interpreted as visual

by the rider, hence represents emancipation from

audio of subconscious sexual desire from the one

oppression of humans and secure the “natural need

who is in control.

for freedom” that is shared among not only women,

breakthrough

cinematic

innovation.

but also men, and animals. Nevertheless, this is Our shoes are for us what horseshoes are for

not to say that we are free. Far from being totally

the horses. They create auditory image of our

liberated, this image symbolizes the domination

presence. In tranquil context like a library, floored

—instead—

with material like wood, the sound of women or

objects over the modern mankind.

Eadweard Muybridge, Horse in Motion, 1878, photographs.

of

commodified

and

fetishized

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Hyacinthe Rigaud, Portrait of King Louis XIV of France, 1701, oil on canvas, MusĂŠe du Louvre, Paris.

THE RED SYMBOL: A POWER STRUGGLE TIFFANY VAN BOOM

Women are there to feed an appetite, not to have any of their own – John Berger. A dialog created

The symbol of the heel is of wealth, power and

between the official portrait of King Louis XIV of

status as a woman in the contemporary society.

France by Hyacinthe Rigaurd in 1701 and the music

Beyoncé amplified the fact that women can stand

video 6 Inch of Popstar Beyoncé Knowles who is a

up, be fierce, powerful, independent and professional

singer, songwriter and dancer from Texas United

through this song, with the shoes symbolizing

States. The painting of King Louis XIV of France

this. The music video 6 Inch begins with the word

is an indication of the shoes with red heels the

‘emptiness’ as Beyoncé is seen in the backseat

French king wore from his early twenties until he

alone with daunting red lights, peep show stages

was at least sixty-three years old. He became one

and indications to street pick-ups of anonymous

of the most influential men in Europe through his

sex works. The music video’s connection to her

flamboyance and being incredibly successful in

previous works is an indication of her life working

creating a French court to surround himself with

with her husband and now the power without

obsequious noblemen, as well as strong political

him, the video toys with the distinctions of what is

and military men. He was not only influential in

public and private, real and fake, past and present.

the aristocracy but through fashion trends as well

The clear message presented is regarding artistic

such as luxurious wigs and the adoption of the red

labour of women which history has not previously

sole and heel. These were not only indicators of

highlighted, it shows the women’s story that has

his status but made amends for his stunted size

not been heard and this music video describes a

because the king was a mere 1,65cm in height. To

sex worker who is one of the main victims of being

account for the king’s stunted height, the high heels

left out of the conversation. The song combines all

becoming fashionable and the tall wigs aided in

the stories of these women into one woman, where

creating an illusion of extra height. The heels were

the lyrics reveal the hardwork behind a woman’s

either covered in red Moroccan leather or painted red at the time, and the paintings he would usually be portrayed in would be with landscapes or battle scenes. In the French court, the colour red became the ultimate symbol of wealth and status, as well as a reminder of King Louis XIV’s right as king. The purpose of the colour and heel was not only to raise the height of the wearer above the masses but to alert the public of the wearer’s high status.

The trend of the red heel trickled down from King Louis XIV to the royal family, the French court, various social class and to England, where the shoe was worn by both men and women. The red heel became a symbol of worldliness and sophistication to the masses. The contemporary document is the music video 6 Inch by popstar Beyoncé Knowles.

Mules worn by the upper class made of green velvet, embroidered in silver thread, 1670-89. The shoes are 7,5cm (3 inches) in height and the heel covered in red Moroccan leather. From Shoes an illustrated history, by Rebecca Shawcross (France 2014).

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outward glamour. In the video, we can see Beyoncé

In Beyoncé’s video, the setting is not luxurious, but

portraying herself as a stripper in a club and as a

she is the symbol of power because, like the king they

woman of the night luring oblivious men in, the

both occupy the center of the setting whether it the

multiplicity of women is embodied by the multiple

limousine, the parlour, the stage or the outside. These

women seen sitting in the parlour while Beyoncé

elements contribute to her message of rebellion and

stands swinging a bulb – which is an indication

the uprising of women. The link between the two

that women are everywhere and they’ll show up in

images are the red colour, which is the main visual

unexpected places, and that ultimately becomes the

aspect of both images, the colour has been a symbol

‘other women’s’ advantage in society. The red rooms

of power and through these documents it was a

and lights we see in the video reference a connection

symbol of power for the French king in status and

to the red district, an urban area focused on

conquer, but of rebellion and uprising for Beyoncé

prostitution, sex-oriented business, sex shops, strip

through all the behind the scenes work women do for

clubs and adult theatres. While the rest of the album

the life of glamour. In the dialog created we can see

is shaped by the #BlackLivesMatter movement, 6

that the heel does not symbolize the same aspects in

Inch is less about loss and more about the revealed

each document. The French king won battles easily in

uprising of the black woman, which aids to the

the 1700s and Beyoncé’s song is a form of power

symbolism of power, struggle, blood and danger that

to fight the battle that women still face today, the

they have always faced through the colour red in the

difference can be seen in the physical form of the

video.

heel. The evidence in differences between the two genders are that in the 1700s the men wore a thick

The dialogue created between the portrait of the King

heel which was easier to walk in, and the female

and Beyoncé’s music video reflect two messages

heel has a thin which is difficult to walk in and it

because King Louis XIV of France used the symbol of

reflects the pain and oppression women still have to

red heels to show his power of status and nobility,

go through in order to achieve the glamour wanted.

being painted in front of landscapes and battle fields.

Evidencing the position women occupy in Beyoncé’s

Whereas Beyoncé, uses the six inch as a symbol for

music video is a quote from John Berger, he shows

the labour of women behind the glamour seen on the

us that women have always been objectified by men

outside. In both documents, the symbol of power is

because the way a woman presents herself regulates

evident where King Louis XIV is seen in a setting that

what is and is not allowed within her presence. This

has been through the battles he conquered, standing

mindset of the woman as the surveyor speaks to the

in the center of the portrait is the French King with

oppression Berger spoke of in his research, this aids

luxurious clothing, tall wigs, an excessive amount

to the statement Beyoncé is making about the fight

of fabric and the significant red heels, his position

still being real for women today.

symbolizes that he has conquered all the destruction.

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BeyoncĂŠ, Screenshots from 6 Inch music video, 2016, Vimeo: Susanna Hampstead, United States.

Article on Guy Bourdin in Vogue Homme, May 1995, Centre de documentation, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

Screenshots from Maxime Ballesteros’ Instagram account, 2019.

OBJECTIFYING WOMEN WITH SHOES, PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUY BOURDIN & MAXIME BALLESTEROS SVITA SOBOLYEVA

Cover of Maxime Ballesteros’ book Les Absents, published in 2017 by Hatje Cantz.

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Rob Sayer, “Smart Shoes Made to Fit without a Last.”, 25 January 1794, Centre de documentation, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

WOMEN AND THE LOCOMOTION OF HEELLESS SHOES LAMA ALISSA In the eighteenth century, shoes represented an

The document depicts a political satire in which

individual’s status within the community. Footwear

the two women can be viewed as individuals of a

in small towns were hand sewn by shoemakers for

higher status being assisted by shoemakers in the

their local market. Given that people in the higher

working class. It signifies a transition between the

social strata were not expected to do any form of

exclusivity of wearing a heel and the representation

manual labour and they did not walk a lot; led them

of higher social status to the switch to flatter

to symbolize their status with wearing heels.Their

shoes. “Caricature in its most important practice is

shoes were lavishly decorated and embroidered.

satirical, and satire is essentially a sort of complaint

The lower social strata, on the contrary, did not

and disapproval”, as said by David Low in 1932. In

wear heels as most of their work required a flat

the title of the engraving, last is used to describe

shoe to enable easy movement.

something yet to be discovered, exceptional and new. A last is a form (as of wood, metal, or plastic)

The French Revolution in 1789 and ideas of the

which is shaped like the human foot and over

Enlightenment influenced all aspects of life including

which a shoe is repaired. On the wall present in the

costume. Costume became comfortable, simple

engraving, although lasts appear to be hung the

and rational. One example is the heel. Heels for

shoe seller seems to try to impress the women in

the noble class were dropped and flats were used

their last-less shoes. Are Clothes Modern? an essay

instead. To represent that, Robert Sayer (1725-1794)

on contemporary apparel was written in 1947 by

an owner of a British firm published caricatures in

Austrian American writer and architect Bernard

his catalogs. On January 15th 1794, Sayer published

Rudofsky for an exhibition of the same name, which

a caricature engraving titled Smart Shoes Made to

took place at the Museum of Modern Art in New

Fit – Without a Last. The engraving has a height of

York from November 28, 1944 to March 4, 1945. In

198 millimeters and a width of 247 millimeters, and

the essay Rudofsky writes:

was originally colored. The document is a personal and social satire, showing:

“With infinite patience we try all life long to reshape our extremities to make them conform with the ideal

A lady wearing a clock and holding a large muff,

laid down unanimously by the shoe-manufacturers

(sitting) on pair of heel-less slippers with pointed

in the form of the shoe last… The manufacturer’s

toes. The shoemaker, left, kneels at her feet,

shoe today is made to fit the last, which has little

looking up at her with a grin. Beneath the title

in common with the delicate mechanism of the foot.

is written: Yes my Lady They sit neat about the

Shoes made on these lasts destroy the foots natural

Quarters, they only want a little Bobbing. Behind

shape and action, if less so than foot binding of

on the right, is another woman being fitted. On the

Chinese women used to do.”

wall are a glass case, left, displaying ladies shoes and on the right is a number of lasts.

Here, Rudofsky would have agreed with the

27

28

illustrated caricature by Rob Sayer. A shoe without

Chanel (1883-1971). In the mid 1930s, the name

a last is going to be way more comfortable. As

‘Chanel’ referred to something far more powerful

Rudosky mentioned above, today manufactures

than any one woman. “It had become a concept,

shape the shoe based on a last and not an actual

a movement, a way of life, a vast constellation of

foot.

visual associations” and instantly recognizable to millions of people in Europe and around the world.

Hence, at the end of the eighteenth century, the

She was credited along with Paul Poiret in the

majority of women’s shoe styles were becoming

post-World War I era as one of the most important

simple: flat, heelless, and reflecting the narrow look

fashion figures who liberated women from the

of French fashions with a distinct pointed toe and

constraints of the corseted silhouette in 1906. In

a low italian heal with or without a wedge. Colors

addition, she introduced the sporty chic look into

were minimal, often with shoes in a single tone

fashion and improved feminine standards of style.

throughout and slip ons were common in black. This

In 1957, by Chanel and French bootmaker Massaro

new change was met with criticism. As Rudofsky

created one of Chanel’s classic signatures to reject

says in his essay, “it is depriving her of a secure walk,

the stiletto heels that were in vogue in the 1950s.

she becomes, all at once, an irresistible female.” For

Initially the heels were 6 cm high and were altered

a successful woman to be an odalisque;a seductive

to 10 mm. The ballerina flats are made of lambskin

woman, she has to be limited in her locomotion and

and patent calfskin with Chanel’s CC logo centered

it is with high-heeled shoes she is able to do that. In

on the tip of the shoe. The shape of the shoe makes

the 1840s, the heel on women’s footwear became

the foot look smaller and longer.

lower and toe shapes softened. Flats complemented the fashions of their day and ours. Both in a quest

Chanel remains today a pioneer in fashion, by

for greater naturalism.

setting

trends

and

challenging

social

norms.

Women’s shoes drastically changed from being with By

the

twentieth

century,

low

shoes

were

heels to heel-less. Comfort was introduced as a vital

significantly popular. Fashion changed and in a

element in the process of shoemaking. Although

million pedestrians there is hardly more than one

heels today no longer indicate one’s class in society,

wearing boots. In France, a prominent name in

they play a role in enhancing a woman’s seductivity

luxury Fashion was advocating comfort in costumes

but most importantly they allow women to move

for her high class clientele, her name was Gabriel

freely without any constraints.

29

Chanel, Ballerinas, lambskin and patent calfskin, 2018.

30

Martin Margiela, MMM - A Newspaper Just for This Season, 2004-2005, Centre de documentation, MusĂŠe des Arts DĂŠcoratifs, France.

IMPRINT AND AUTHORSHIP: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT AND ART MOLLY APPLE The notions of authorship and imprint create a

its cultural capital even further. This value is created

dialogue between two objects - a sculpture by

by the creator of the Tabi boots - Martin Margiela.

the young artist Torey Thornton seen at the Paris

Just as Thornton deconstructed the Tabi boot to

Internationalle

ephemeral

represent a path they took as an artist; Margiela’s

historical document from 2005 in the form of a

newspaper to create a dialogue between this

newspaper collected from the Musée des Arts

sculpture and the enigma that is Martin Margiela

Décoratifs archival box on Martin Margiela that

as a designer and figure. Margiela walks a specific

was

Martin

path, remained hidden and extremely private in the

Margiela Tokyo store. The newspaper includes an

fashion industry, coming to represent, according to

article about the creation of the Tabi boot which

journalist Natasha Stagg in her book a Sleeveless:

connects to Torey Thornton’s materiality choice.

Fashion, Image, Media, New York 2011 – 2019

A theoretical framework is formed in the dialogue

« mythological spirit » - an enigma behind highly

between the two objects. This dialogue builds

recognizable luxury products. This spirit builds

upon past discourse that addresses authorship

Margiela’s cultural capital by positioning him as

and imprint. The physical qualities of Thornton’s

a man of mystery and thus making his products

sculpture consists of a detached boot sole mounted

more desirable. Margiela’s anonymity directly

on the wall, titled “A Height’s Presence in Isolating,

correlates to the question that Thornton poses –

Who’s Do You Put Yourself in and Why.” The

“Who’s [boots] do you put yourself in and why?”

sub caption alerts the reader that they stripped

This question is positioned in the work of French

the sole of these highly recognizable designer

Philosopher Roland Barthes’ Death of the Author

boots after the city left its imprint of the journey

in which the dichotomy of creator versus viewer is

through Manhattan and Brooklyn on its soles.

thoroughly examined to reveal the irrelevance of

The two-dimensional representation is an image

who creates and the importance of who observes.

reproduction of the sculpture to scale. The subtext

Barthes’ writes,

originally

exhibition

made

for

and

the

an

Maison

gives the viewer enough information to engage their cultural capital - a term formed in the field

“Our society proudly champions precisely what it

of sociology. Cultural Capital relates to economic

dismisses, ignores, smothers or destroys; we know

capital explored by German Philosopher Karl Marx -

that to restore to writing its future, we must reverse

and is made up of social obligations or connections

its myth: the birth of the reader must be ransomed

which present themselves in the immaterial form.

by the death of the Author.”

In this case, the viewer’s ability to recognise the material object the Tabi boot engages their cultural

In the way of Barthes’ death of the author and

competence. Cultural competence is the ability to

birth of the reader, Thornton’s position as the artist

register the economic and social value of an object.

dissolves when they place the Tabi boot on the

This connects to Pierre Bourdieu’s notion « objectified

wall and probes the viewer to place themselves

state » in which cultural capital in embodied in an

within the context of the boot’s imprint. French

object – such as the Tabi boot. In Thornton’s piece,

philosopher, Michel Foucault’s response to Barthes’

high fashion engages with high art which increases

essay, “What is an Author?” addresses the position

31

32

of Martin Margiela as a designer in conjunction with his image, or lack there of. Foucault points out how the author is individualized in our culture – their status, and he positions his research into this

authenticity

and

attribution,

fostering

a

fundamental critical category of ‘the man and his work.’ The status of the author is clearly seen in Thornton’s sculpture, as the Tabi boot is an object of high cultural value - a term explored by discourse on fashion capital by Caroline Evans titled Fashion at the Edge. Just as Thornton uses the Tabi boot to make an artwork that represents an imprint of high cultural value, the newspaper is an ephemeral document that reveals Margiela’s cultural capital and perpetuates the enigma of his anonymity by producing something other than clothing or shoes. This notion of anonymity is mirrored in the conversation created between Thornton’s sculpture as a fine art piece and the Margiela newspaper as a fashion ephemeral document that explores the relationship between fine art and fashion, artist and designer. Thus, imprint and authorship are explored through this dialogue between both the art and fashion communities.

33

Torey Thornton, A Height’s Presence In Isolating, Who’s Do You Put Yourself In And Why (Olive New York Crazy City), One Day of Manhattan Brooklyn debris on removed shoe sole of wood, rubber and foam, 2019, United States of America.

34

François Villon, Play Boy Boots, “Chaussures 1920s - 1970s”, Album Maciet #217, Bibliothèque du Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

FOLLOWING THE PATH OF THE SHOE’S IMAGE

35

NICOLETTE CONTURSI The field of fashion creates a vast output of images

transition into private space. Collection symbolizes

annually, coinciding with each fashion season.

longevity of the image, as it is catalogued and stored

From the very manifestation of a fashion object,

to leave behind a memory and history. However,

we can begin to trace the trajectory of its life as it

with

exists through varying spaces. Traveling through

collections are more accessible than ever.

society’s

advancements

in

digitalization,

spaces of production, consumption and collection, each fashion image is created for a different use,

Beginning

and furthermore, a different audience. As fashion

2017, a strong connection between the image

images move through new spaces, they create a

representation of shoes and the path of the image

narrative for the objects they depict, expressing

can be explored. By utilizing Francois Villon’s “play

both hidden and exposed contexts. By analyzing

boy” boots from his Winter 1969-1970 collection

the course of two fashion shoes, similar in style, but

and Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga’s pantashoes

created fifty years apart, similar paths of the image

from

can be discovered.

reinterpretation of boot pants can be seen. The

his

in

1969

Spring

and

Summer

moving

2017

forward

collection,

to

a

combining of fashion and shoe design leads to the A strong dialogue between the images I present

creation of a pair of pant boots, fastened at the

can be utilized to explore the relationship between

waist. Through this reimagined design, one created

fashion images and the spaces they evoke. By

in the 20 th century and the second created in the

combining

consumption

21 st century, similar trajectories of their image

and collection, a timeline for each shoe can be

can be realized. However, when entering the 21 st

constructed. The space of production symbolizes

century, we see a new, digital space come forth.

the creation of the shoe. The production process

The space of production for each shoe is visualized

is only accessible by very few and expressed

through two contrasting images. The first image

through images that illustrate the shoe before it is

depicting Villon’s “play boy” boots is taken from la

available to consumers. The space of consumption

Bibliothèque du Musée des Arts Décoratifs Album

is structured through images of the shoe that are

Maciet #217, titled “Chaussures 1920s - 1970s”.

presented to consumers. Whether shown through

The page displays the shoes in the form of a sketch.

advertising, social media or magazines, editorial

This design sketch of the shoe communicates the

style imagery acts as a key tool of marketing within

process of production, thus symbolizing a hidden

the fashion industry. The way in which shoes are

space. This hidden space is only seen by those on

represented on the body, in the social world, aids

the inside, and thus separate from the commercial

in transitioning the shoes from a mere object to a

fashion world. Balenciaga’s pantashoes are first

desirable commodity. Through the deconstruction

presented on the runway of Paris Fashion Week

of fashion images, we can further read into the

in 2016, captured by Monica Feudi for Indigital.

meaning behind the garments, or here, the shoes.

TV. The runway symbolizes a space of production

The space of collection conveys the final space the

as the pantashoes are first showcased to potential

shoe exists in. Whether the space of collection be

clients and buyers. As fashion is displayed on the

a museum, an auction house or an exhibition, it is

runway, the garments and accessories are still

a removal of the shoe from the public eye and a

in a stage of production, being held by pins and

fields

of

production,

36

enduring last-minute adjustments. This space

consumers to purchase. As the image transcends

is

the shoes into an exposed space, the shoes come in

hidden

images

in

today

manifestation, are

circulated

however

runway

worldwide

just

to contact with an endless audience.

minutes after fashion shows. This transitions the physical environment of the runway as the space

Lastly, they end their trajectory in a space of

of production, and upon the image’s publication

collection. The third image of the “play boy” boots

the pantashoes enter the space of consumption.

is brought forth to display the shoes in the digital

Progressing into the next space, the shoes enter a

space of Doyle auction house, shown on a screen

space of consumption as they are displayed through

to communicate the digital space of vintage resale.

the medium of fashion photography. An editorial

The auction house leads us the notion of heritage

style photograph of Villon’s “play boy” boots is

that surrounds an object. In 2017, just months

also displayed in the Album Maciet #217, titled

after their debut, the pantashoes enter into the

“Chaussures 1920s - 1970s” from la Bibliothèque

space of collecting as they are acquired by Musée

du Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Here, the image

Galliera, through Vogue Paris Foundation in 2017.

emphasizes the physicality of the object as it comes

The image of documentation on their website

into contact with the body. The image depicts a

transitions the pantashoes off of the body, and

model wearing nothing but the shoes, emphasizing

onto a garment hanger. Here, the shoes reenter a

their multifunctionality as both pants and shoes.

hidden space of Palais Galliera’s storage facility, a

The pantashoe become visualized as a commodity

space of collection existing within Paris’s museum

through an editorial image by Terry Tsiolis, published

of fashion. In his book Theatres of Memory, Raphael

in Elle USA, January 2017. Here, the pantashoes

Samuels, British Marxist historian, discusses this

are displayed on a model in an editorial style and

notion of Western society being obsessed with

published online. As the photograph is published,

idealizing the past, always looking at the present

linked and shared across the Internet, consumers

and future through its outdated lens. As the shoes

worldwide can visualize the shoes as a commodity.

enters a space of collection, here either an auction

British scholar, Joanne Entwistle’s research on

house or a museum, their significance on society is

fashion, body, dress and gender can be utilized as a

confirmed. Through this notion of collecting vintage

method to further explore this relationship between

fashion, the object is valorized for its heritage. The

the visualization of shoes on the body. Her chapter

reentering into a private space helps bring the shoes

“The Dressed Body”, published in Real Bodies: A

trajectory full circle.

Sociological Introduction, discusses the relationship between dress and body, exploring how the two

In the 21 st century, we have a new space for

affect each other. Entwistle describes this standard

the fashion image to exist in, the space of social

of dress set by a moral order of the social space, thus

media. The field of fashion witnesses an explosion

influencing the way in which we dress ourselve. As

in the number of images which surround a single

shoes enter this social space through the publishing

fashion object. Three images turn into thousands,

of fashion photography, the shoe is accepted as

transcending the pantashoes into the infinitely

fashionable. Here, the fashion image displays the

public space of social media. Since their debut on

shoe’s value to potential consumers, persuading

the Paris runway in 2016, Balenciaga’s pantashoes

37

have blown up across social media platforms. From red carpets to street style, celebrities and civilians have created their own representation of the pantashoes, uploading new images to the space of social media. Here, we explore Instagram as the final, everlasting space of the shoe, the digital space of image collection.

Terry Tsiolis, 28 Stories, January 2017, Elle USA.

Cyrille George Jerusalmi, Vogue Paris Foundation Gala, 2017, Palais Galliera.

Monica Feudi, Balenciaga Spring 2017 Ready-to-Wear, October 2016, Vogue Runway.

Louis Feraud, Shoe Advertorial, 1960, Photograph, Album Maciet, Bibliothèque du Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

THE INTENTION OF WOMEN’S IMAGE ARIANNA PADFIELD

The line between an object of vision and a vision that

bias of the female body through art installation

surpasses objectification is where the mannequin

and performance with the use of nude females. On

and the human become opposing mediums. French

the contrary, her exhibition is an objectification of

fashion house Louis Feraud 1960’s shoe editorial

woman in itself. In particular, VB45 shown in Vienna

emulating the body as a prop, used to display

Austria, in 2001 represents the body as a mannequin

material goods in dialogue with Italian performance

which gives reflective narrative next to the 1960’s

artist Vanessa Beecroft VB40. The presence of shoes

Louis Feraud photograph. VB45 is a composition

in both artistic pieces become the tool in which the

of live figure models, completely nude, dressed in

body changes from natural to an act of display.

matching pairs of black over the knee boots. The

The issues that underly the mannequin imagery

audience feels a sense of uniformity, unnaturalness,

of women in fashion and art is the redundant

and militant like stance by the positioning and

representation of the passive female in association

hyper organized body language expressed in the

with an active male in the foresight of male gaze.

performance presentation. Power in numbers, the rows of models in the performance stand for hours.

Louis Feraud is a French fashion label established

The boots are the only artificial object placed on the

in the 1950’s known for dressing Brigitte Bardot

models bodies as the rest of their bodies are styled

and Parisian elite. The company won the Golden

uniformly with slick back hair and bare skin. The

Thimble award in 1978 for their Haute

Couture.

women appear very much like mannequins because

The company went pret-a-porter in the late sixties

of their glossy appearance and shaved bodies.

early seventies. The 1960 shoe editorial found

We can argue the role of the body changes when

in the chaussures archives of the MAD library

placed in a pair of shoes. The causality of the model

represents the body as a prop. The female model

sitting on the ground wears no shoes as she is the

is seen as passive with the styling of a silver chain

only female seen in a ‘relaxed’ stance against the

wrapped around her legs. Two different shoes are

rows of females in boots behind her. Shoes as an

placed on her left and right foot with two shoes

object to transform the presentation of the body - a

placed between her legs and on top of her knees.

performative act. The boots as an object to affect

The symbolism between the chain and shoes to

the behavior of the body.

the body can be seen as suppressed, immobile, and fetishized. The females legs are being used as

In history, the female entity has been associated to

a prop for shoe display. Face and portraiture of the

an object of vision and sight since oil painting existed.

female is missing leaving out identity, making the

In theory, John Berger’s words in his writing Ways

human body appear mannequin-like.

of Seeing, he states: “Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines

In dialogue, Vanessa Beecroft, Italian contemporary

not only most relations between men and women

artist known for her performance art across the

but also the relation of women to themselves. The

country. Beecroft’s message is to project tableau

surveyor of woman in herself as male: the surveyed

39

40

Vanessa Beecroft, VB45: Performance Art, 2001 Photograph Sotheby’s Collection, New York City.

Vanessa Beecroft, VB40: Performance Art, 1999 Video Kaldor Public Art Projects, Sydney.

female. Thus she turns herself into an object — and

writing What Is an Image?, “But if vision itself is a

most particularly an object of vision: a sight.” Women

product of experience and acculturation - including

in particular are fed the ideology of passivity through

the experience of making pictures - then what we

the innate desire to identify, compete, and distinct

are matching against pictorial representations is

themselves as images of passive objectification

not any sort of naked reality, but a world already

has been ingrained in our cultural discourse since

clothed in our systems of representation.” If

19th century. Fashioning by writer Sharon Marcus’s

everything is a matter of reflections and refractions

definition, “Psychological theories equate fashion with

of 5 previously understood words and images then,

an erotics of narcissism, exhibitionism, masochism,

intuition and intention applied to the performative

and the pleasure of fantasy itself, in which clothes

and styled performance of the imaginal reflection

activate desire and promote reveries of beauty,

and transformation of reality. Karl Marx in that, “...

leisure, power, and plenitude.” The issue does not lie

reflections of the real world can, in any case, vanish

in the disassociation between human and mannequin

only when the practical relations of everyday

but in the systems of our representations. The image

life between man and man, and man and nature,

of female identity attached to an object of vision and

generally present themselves to him in a transparent

sight is apparent and present in that objects placed

and rational form.” The mannequin not necessary

on the body are adornment and the body reacts in

for existence, but necessary in sight to feel we

a performative way. This performance of stance,

exist. Present in the Louis Feraud photograph and

pose, and body language is social but captured and

Vanessa Beecrofts VB45 performance art, it is in

repetitively present in photography, paintings, and

this mediation and styling of man made shoes,

such discourse of women. The constant representation

performance takes place. Such sight needs revision

of this image is what makes the actuality of the

in dialogue of how the image of women should be

body as a prop, reality. We can challenge what

represented as mannequin or human for the politics

is necessary in our systems of representation as

of humanity through fashion and art in our systems

intuition or intention. W.J.T. Mitchell states in his

of representation to change gaze.

JE Smart, Clothes for the Job, 1985, Paperback book, Bibliothèque du Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France. (Cover)

MISSING FROM THE MUSEUM RENÉE HONG

The claim of museums to display the most worthy

prostitutes. However, though this may literally

objects of collection surfaces the question as to

widen the range of representation, it ultimately

what qualities our society considers valuable.

results in a spectacle of exoticization, injecting the

Footwear, in particular, is a fascinating object of

ideal of ‘culturally-quotidian’ to magnify the shock-

study in this regard, as it represents a utilitarian

value that simply reinforces a euro-centric vision.

object of design yet duplicitous in result.

These objects, as such, can be perceived as worthy not because of their global qualities but because

The objective of exhibitions addressing a widely-

they remind us that cultures foreign to the West

consumed object such as the shoe would likely be

still sit below them, diseased with the products of

intended to demonstrate the spectrum between

miseducation and lack of civility such as prostitution

fashion and function, representing the whole

and superstitious belief.

of society. Upon closer inspection, we begin to recognize that even if the objects do cover a breadth

There is a large category missing from these

of use-cases, the curation of these objects and its

examples, which comprises a large population

intention to represent is ultimately eclipsed by our

of shoes worn daily: working shoes. There is a

apparent and underlying obsession with objects as

reason working shoes are not exhibited alongside

markers of status.

these other examples, and the reason is not because they don’t possess the codified qualities

At the most obvious level, the high volume of haute

of exhibited objects—they are modernly crafted

couture objects is easy to identify and criticize as

in order to support rigorous wear of varying harsh

markers of status. The issues here are multi-fold and

external conditions, bearing some of the most

often addressed— the inaccessibility, idolization of

advanced technologies, and they also potentially

the designers rather than an objective mediation

make up the most used item of clothing for a

of the objects, and inherent focus on European

majority of industrial populations. These facts in

countries. Those who create, own, or recognize

themselves merit their representation in design

these shoes are considerably ‘upper class,’ — but

history collections. However, they are rarely to be

it should not be mistaken that the problem is the

found displayed. Arguably, this exclusion is not

exhibition of these models. The argument is not

necessarily the result of intentional discrimnation,

that haute couture, which is historically significant

rather that it reveals the underlying belief that those

in its own right, should be removed, but the question

lowest in society, or the blue-collar workers, are not

remains of what is exhibited alongside it to temper

valued in terms of ‘the population’ and at the same

its importance.

time not ‘exotic’ enough to position the privileged as elite. Simply put, their explicit exclusion may be

Moving past luxury fashion, we can look at another

unintentional, but are a result of the fact that

category of frequently displayed shoes : objects that

the primary message of these objects is not status

arguably represent a more common population,

but function.

featuring cultural variances worthy of display— from shamanic slippers loaded with supernatural

Instead, they are reduced to the second-tier

connotations to platforms worn by Japanese

classification / qualification of all non-privileged

43

objects: [sub] exhibitions, [feminine] literature, [ethnic]

the privileged wealth, whose culture we have been

artworks etc. — in this case, falling under the category

preserving in museums since their conception;

of ‘workwear.’ Clothes for the Job is not a book about

simply put, comfort does not support status but

shoes but a collection of objects in the workwear

function. As such, working shoes remain excluded

industry, positioned exclusively in relationship to each

— that is, until they are one day appropriated by the

other for the specialist to find rather than positioned

fashion world, at which point they will be deemed

in the context of other notable footwear. Found in

worthy of attention. It remains that the working

the ‘vetements du travail’ section of the library, the

class is illegitimate until the upper class can profit

catalogue exemplifies the level of innovative and

from it.

experimental designs with curious design solutions and narratives that could counter those of haute couture.

Of course, to say that the selection of current museum exhibitions are solely superficial, aesthetic

Exhibited here next to the catalogue is the Caterpillar

or even exoticizing is too reductive. The intent is

Colorado, a shoe that was designed for working

not to criticize any specific curation; rather, it is

conditions, optimized for protection and comfort. Worn

to confirm the reality we still collect items with a

daily by a large sector of the working population, the

consistent underlying belief in status. Under the

innovation and historical context of the boots can

guise of design, popularity and inclusion, we find

be definitely argued as objects worth exhibiting and

objects whose stories are ultimately narrated and

representative of society. However this model, along

dictated by their relationship to the privileged —

with others in its category, fail to exist in the discourse

things that represent them, that polarize them, that

of footwear and fashion. They fail to offer anything to

excite them, that perpetuate them.

45

Caterpillar, Cat Colorado Boot, 2015, Calf Hair, Leather Upper, Nylon Mesh Lining, T3 Outsole, Welt Construction.

Caterpillar, Cat Colorado Boot, 2015, Calf Hair, Leather Upper, Nylon Mesh Lining, T3 Outsole, Welt Construction.

Magasin des chaussures de M. Herber, 93, rue de Richelieu, 1869, Le Monde IllustrĂŠ, France.

INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND MAISON HERBER JENNIFER BRIASCO The

engravings

presented

in

each

of

these

advances. Shoemaking is not only a subject of

magazines, La Vie Parisienne in 1868, Le Monde

fashion interest in the nineteenth century, but also

Illustré in 1869, and L’Illustration in 1870, are nearly

of technology, industry, and innovation. One of

identical in content (though slightly less so in form)

these innovations introduced by Herber, according

and so are the articles that accompany them. Their

to L’Illustration, was the ability to create Louis XV

subject is the Paris chaussures boutique Maison

heels in one solid piece, which provided much greater

Herber, located at 93 rue de Richelieu, which is by

stability to these heeled shoes, made them easier to

all accounts a beautiful and well-appointed shop.

wear, and more practical for walking. In the grand

However, it seems odd that a Paris shoe store, of

scheme of the technical progress of the nineteenth

all things, would warrant so many news articles in

century this is admittedly a small contribution, but

leading papers. Why are there so many and what

it would eventually usher in a newfound popularity

was so special about these shoes?

of the heel over flats for women as others followed Herber’s footsteps -- so to speak.

Exposition and Innovation Unlike many of his fellow shoemakers, Monsieur

Three Engravings

Herber, owner of this shop which bears his name,

These engravings from L’Illustration, Le Monde

exhibited his shoes at the 1867 Universal Exposition

Illustré, and La Vie Parisienne are all strikingly

in Paris, a world fair for art and industry. His ensuing

similar in content, which is part of what makes them

notoriety was due not only to the quality of his

so compelling, wbut there are important differences

shoes, but also to his inclusion of innovative, new

as well. At this time it was impossible to replicate

technical machinery and worker-friendly policies in

photos into newspapers, and so instead they were

the shoemaking process. The Catalogue Général for

used as references for engravings, meant to convey

the 1867 Universal Exposition describes his rags-

images of high levels of realism, to be printed in

to-riches rise to own a shop of great quality and his

their stead. This being the case, the fact that there

discontent with the slow pace of the shoe production

are differences at all is compelling.

process, even if the ensuing product was of excellent quality. By employing the use of machinery created

Since we no longer have the original photo, one can

or modified by himself in order to not only create

only look at where these engravings agree to give

shoes faster, but shoes that fit better and that were

a sense of the elements most faithfully reproduced,

more solidly built. In addition to this, as they were

such as the high, tasseled curtains separating

able to produce and sell more shoes, wages for

rooms, the presence of cabinets with shoes lining

the workers at Maison Herbert increased as well,

the walls of the main room, shoe fittings being

making a case for machine assistance as helpful for

given in the ancillary rooms, the sales desk in the

everyone involved in industry.

main room, the elaborately molded ceiling, stylish chandeliers, and patterned floors. Other details, for

Which brings us back to these images, as it is these

instance the number and placement of bodies in

innovations that their accompanying news articles

the space, differ. One might argue that differences

focus on, surrounded by other news stories of the

in the ephemeral environment of the store, which

“modern” world and its newfound technological

in reality would change from minute to minute, can

47

be considered attempts at storytelling rather than

Stylistically, La Vie Parisienne’s engraving stands

strict accuracy, but these are not the only types of

out from the other two with its more hurried and

elements were differences exist.

less detailed style, perhaps meant to mirror the pace of life in a city like Paris. While L’Illustration

For the most part the depictions of what look like oil

and La Monde Illustré were news magazines and

lamp chandeliers (possibly a mix of oil and candles)

particularly interested in technology and innovation,

in each photo are similar, with tiered, curling forms

La Vie Parisienne was more socially focused, and so

and tulip-shaped glass; however, through the middle

less rigorous attention to detail and photorealistic

doorway in the engraving from L’Illustration shows

reproduction seems appropriate.

what could possibly be a gas chandelier with a single tier of spherical glass. Interestingly, this engraving

The multiplicity of these images, in their various

also features a clock hanging from the middle of the

states of veracity, are an expression of the nineteenth

doorway leading to this room that is not present

century’s interest in technology and industrial

in the other two. Given that the article is about

innovation beyond the large-scale railroads and

technology and innovations occurring in this shop,

machinery. Additionally, its inclusion in newspaper

it is possible that the engraver took artistic license

magazines about technology and modernity as well

with the physical space of the shop as well to catch

as those of social interest indicate the wide scope of

the attention of readers who might have skipped

popular interest.

past an article about shoes as well as to echo the technologically progressive claims of the article.

49

Magasin de M. Herber, 93, rue de Richelieu, 1870, L’Illustration, France.

Magasin de M. Herber, 93, rue de Richelieu, 1868, La Vie Parisienne, Collected Volume II, Bibliothèque du Musée des Arts Décoratifs, France.

The New School Parsons Paris is the unique European campus of Parsons School of Design, New York. Parsons has been present in Paris since 1921, when Frank Alvah Parsons first established the Paris Ateliers of the New York School of Fine and Applied Art. In 1970, Parsons merged with The New School, a university founded in 1919 by a group of eminent scholars dedicated to the social sciences and the performing arts. The new Parsons Paris campus, established in 2013 at 45 rue Saint Roch, reflects the pedagogical mission of The New School. It is a laboratory where the students of both cities can take advantage of unique resources to experiment new design practices in order to produce positive social change.

The Library of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs was founded in 1864 by the Union Centrale des Beaux-arts Appliqués à l’Industrie, which became the Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs, then the MAD in 2018, to meet the needs of artists and craftsmen. Since it moved into the Pavillon de Marsan in 1904, it has become a reference and research library for students, historians and art critics, as well as for architects, designers, graphic artists, fashion and set designers, art experts and auctioneers. It has an outstanding collection of works in the decorative arts, graphic arts, architecture, design, costume and fashion, the history of art and the art of gardening. The walls of its reading room are lined with the 5,000 infolio albums of the Maciet collection, a unique picture collection named after its creator, Jules Maciet who, from 1885 to 1911, collected and methodically classified thousands of engravings, photographs, lithographs, postcards and documents of all provenances.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks to:

Stéphanie Rivoire, Laure Haberschill, Emmanuelle Beuvin, Laurence Bartoletti and Catherine Collin from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs; Marco Pecorari and Emmanuel Guy from Parsons Paris.

COLOPHON Stepping into the Archive is an exhibition and catalogue developed by Lorraine Audric and Parsons Paris MA students from the course Design & Visual Studies: Arianna Padfield, Jennifer Briasco, Lama Alissa, Molly Apple, Nicolette Contursi, Nicolette Kabitsis, Renée Hong, Reynaldo Gomez, Ruchanan Patarapanich, Svita Sobolyeva, and Tiffany Van Boom.

Graphic Design: Arianna Padfield and Lama Alissa.

This catalog is typed in Krungthep, Prestige Elite Std , Neue and printed on recycled paper.

Printed in December 2019.

Disclaimer: all right reserved. The images in this catalogue may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form. We have attempted to clear all copyrights but if anyone needs to claim copyrights, please contact: Lorraine Audric, Parsons Paris faculty, audricl@newschool.edu