Plastic Shoes Never Die

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Works shown in collaborative exhibition 'Tilt' with Ali Glover, 310 NXRD, London, 2 - 13 September 2021

 

TILT focuses on the tension and collision of hard and soft materials explored through impressions of landscapes and nostalgic casts of jelly shoes. Through this exhibition the artists draw playful connections between biodegradable and industrial materials against natural and urbanised landscapes.

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During the course of the exhibition, the artists choreograph the collaborative installation ‘Tilt’ by controlling the temperature of a sloping steel floor to decay the material elements of jelly shoes cast in wax, which slowly melt and slide down the slope, designed to mimic the landscape of a sloping shore.

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The Jelly shoe is a recurring motif in the exhibition. The exact origin of jelly shoes are unclear – a frequently offered explanation is that the shoes were created in the 1960’s when plastic became a commonplace material after a leather shortage in Europe. The mass-production of these popular shoes over decades is viewed by the artist(s) as tragic, as these plastic shoes never die or decompose. By recreating the shoes as artworks in biodegradable materials, they are reimagined as commodities that can melt away and disappear after use.