Shoe
1972-1973 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Sculptural ceramic work in the form of a high-heeled sandal, with incised decoration and green, red, brown, pink, blue, turquoise and yellow glazes.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | White earthenware, handbuilt, with incised decoration and coloured glazes |
| Brief description | Shoe, earthenware, Barbara Nessim, USA, 1972-3 |
| Physical description | Sculptural ceramic work in the form of a high-heeled sandal, with incised decoration and green, red, brown, pink, blue, turquoise and yellow glazes. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | '© Barbara Nessim / 1972-3', handwritten on base in black pigment |
| Gallery label | Barbara Nessim: An Artful Life (V&A, 2013; Bard Graduate Center Gallery, 2014-15)
Shoe sculptures
1973 and 1975
In addition to the fantasy designs and the Carber range of commercially produced shoes, Nessim also created these two unique ceramic shoes. She made the first in the basement of her artist friend Ruth Marten's house in Queens, New York, and the other at a pottery workshop in Manhattan.
Glazed earthenware
Museum nos. C.1, 2-2013(2013) |
| Credit line | Given by the artist |
| Object history | Barbara Nessim writes: "I was doing all those 2D shoe paintings and I was curious to see them in 3D. My good friend and artist Ruth Marten created a lot of ceramic art and had a kiln in the basement of her mothers house in Queens NY. One day, in 1973, I drove out there and we worked together in her basement. It is made out of white stoneware - I was asking her questions as I was building my shoe with the clay and she was giving me advice as to getting all the air out of the clay and the preparing of the material before starting the making of the shoe. She was working on her own art that day and it was so much fun working side by side. After it was put in the Kiln and fired I went back and put the glaze on the white shoe - I had to approximate the color, utilizing low fire glazes, and was uncertain as to exactly what would be the outcome. After the firing Ruth transported the shoe to me at my studio. I had planned to go back and do some more but I was so busy I never returned." Quoted in an email from Doug Dodds, 26/03/13, RF/2013/103. |
| Production | Made at the studio of Ruth Marten, Queens, NY. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.1-2013 |
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| Record created | February 11, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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