Recently, I've been fascinated by shoes drawings. Usually Shoe Designers draw the model they've got in mind before starting making prototypes for their production. In the Manolo Blanhìk Exhibition I had chance to personally watch some of MB sketches matching with their prototypes.
In addition to Shoe Designers there is another category of artists focusing on the same subject for portraits. Let me introduce you just three of the most creative ones.
First, Inna Panasenko. This Caucasian multicultural artist based in Germany has got two main topics for her art: bulls as to her objection to Corrida; high heels as inspired to modern feminism and her fashion studies.
Particularly thanks to her academic studies in fashion in Russia the shoe-lovers are quite aware of her talent in drawing Stilettos. By googling this artist you can download a huge variety of postcards, posters, prints, etc. Panasenko's art shows her concept of heels as straightening...
"women up so tremendously, that men become midgets. The lords of creation have no other option but to stand on their tip-toes, unnoticed in the rain."
Her ability to draw high heels while representing a new concept of feminism out from stereotypes where womanliness leads the whole portrait including male characters almost "overwhelmed" by the height of the stiletto. Colors, styles, themes (cocktails, flowers, dance, folks, etc.) make each of her drawings unique in its genre. I think her portraits on this theme show strength, behaviour and femininity.
The very tiny heel fascinates every shoe lover who is wondering about any physics rule balancing such an extremely pencil heel and the toe where men are usually sitting down or standing up, rather than reading a newspaper. Personally, when I admire one of her portraits on Stilettos my question is the following: "If I were that man...." That micro-male character is like a black point in the dizzying Stiletto. He's fascinating me. Is this another reaction Inna Panasenko would like to get from her viewers?
The second artist I want to mention here is Marilyn Robertson. She explained her cats on pumps and bags (called "Catitudes" Collection) as follows:My much loved feline range, featuring ‘Jasper-the-Cat’ and his friends Thomas, Felix and Sebastian, (the ‘cats with attitude’), have been trademarked as “Catitudes TM”. With the rest of their friends they are found on a growing product range.
Like for Inna Panasenko, many of Robertson's paints have been put in the global market through posters, greeting cards, Ceramic pimpernel, etc.
The very tiny heels as painted in her works remind me to the same shoe concept by Inna Panasenko. "Catitudes" regards beautiful cats laying down on the sole of some dizzying pumps giving a general idea of luxury, class and relax to the whole portrait. Agree?
The third (last but not least) shoe painter I would like to focus on is Michel Tcherevkoff. The peculiarity of his works regards creating female stunning pumps by flowers. He reminds me to the amazing SS2016 Collection by Manolo Blahnìk I had chance to admire during MB Exhibition last Spring. Each part of the flower contributes to the whole shape of the shoe.
His design has been put in practice by Po-Zu, an "ecological footwear brand that naturally invigorates walking feet". The resulting shoe collection (called Shoe Fleur Collection) matches with standards of a "Responsible Shoe Business" according to the construction so-called "Fits-and-Turn", "by which the upper is stitched to the sole and turned inside-out". (shoefleur.com)
The Shoe Fleur Collection is designed for the woman who appreciates fine art as much as she values comfort, the woman who indulges her wildest footwear fantasies without sacrificing her sole.
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