Why Pop Art? Why Sneakers? Louboutins Anyone?

Long before I started painting, I loved art, fashion, design, clothing, and accessories. I loved the classic and iconic. I loved pushing the envelope. They are more than possessions – they help define who you are and who you were. For many women, I trip through their closet is a trip through their history; a biography on hangars.

For men, that joy of the past, that rite of passage, is best reflected in their sneakers. The more classic and iconic the better; the more they pushed the envelope the better. Chuck Taylors may be a tribute to their youth and Air Jordans to their recent yesterday, but each remains a celebration of who they have become. Our daily life is built upon our fond memories and for many men, that starts with the sneakers they have loved and continue to revere.

A current quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League buys a pair of Air Jordans after each victory, in the colors of the team they have beaten. For him, a closet full of Air Jordans is a trophy case and a scrapbook of his greatest achievements. They mark his life. Each of us has some of that quarterback in us.

Enter art. There is no greater substitute for iconic items than the items themselves. So if an artist wants to depict an iconic possession, a realistic, correctly sized depiction must always be second best. Why put such a picture on the wall, rather than put the sneaker on a stand.

But the majesty of Pop Art is that it allows far greater expression than the real-life image through the magic of size and color. From bold red backgrounds to screaming pastels and with the 6-foot by 5-foot sneaker dominating the environment, the background and proportion of the Pop Art can cause the sneaker to light up a living or family room, basement, or even hallway in a sports arena, jump off the page and convert memories to smiles, smiles into awe, and awe back to greater memories.

Iconic items such as grand sneakers remain for many larger than life. And that is how they should be depicted. That is Pop Art.

This year, indeed from November 30-December 4, 2022, I hope the experience will simply accelerate on steroids when my Pop Art sneakers are shown at the Vogelsang Gallery display at the Context Art venue during the Art Basel Miami art week. I will review that in my next blog. And thereafter I will start work on the commissions I am receiving for custom paintings of particular iconic sneakers, shoes, ice skates, and more.

Keep enjoying.

Michelle