Sebastian Errazuriz says, If the shoe fits…
Chilean-born, New York-based artist Sebastian Errazuriz has outdone himself with his 12 Shoes for 12 Lovers piece. Can you imagine waking up to find your dalliance with this charmer had been turned into a shoe? And your name was attached to it? Maybe that’s okay if he labeled you a “Heartbreaker” or “Honey” but how about “Ice Queen” or “Gold Digger”? Not so much.
But honestly, it would still be difficult not to be flattered.
A citizen of the world, Sebastian Errazuriz grew up in London, took art classes in Washington, design in Santiago, film in Edinburgh, and received a Masters in Fine Arts at NYU. His work is always edgy — and usually thought-provoking. Like these shoes, that take us on a journey through his love (and lust) lives.
“Heartbreaker” Laura
Sebastian Errazuriz says she had one real boob and one implant. And he couldn’t tell the difference (the artist felt that detail was important). In any event, she broke his heart and is now married with kids. Don’t you love the fire engine red color? If these were real, we’d think about wearing them on Valentine’s Day. And the arrow – Cupid’s arrow – to signify her love stung him. Who knows how many years he’s mourned the loss of this one. But, there are still 11 more shoes. And lovers who inspired them.
“The Virgin” Anna
Ah, Anna. The Virgin shoe in the image of the Virgin Mother. And white, of course. A complex shoe with folds and flows, a kind piece, really. He claims he didn’t know until it was a done deed, and then she thought she might become a nun. ‘Nuff said.
“The Boss” Rachel
This shoe is black for starters. Not good. And while the grip looks like brass knuckles, when you slide your fingers into the slots, the shoe looks just like a gun pointing that big black stiletto heel at the offender. Sounds like Rachel was a little passive-aggressive. A full on feminist who wanted to play the helpless little girl in bed – but she’d change back without warning. Perhaps Rachel left him feeling just a tad emasculated. Nice shoe, though, as shoes go.
“The Ghost” Valentina
Valentina was a summer romance – an ethereal love – someone who floated in and out with no strings, no ties, no demands. And for her we have a shoe called Ghost, but one that looks like cage as much as anything. Perhaps the artist was in a metaphorical cage as he waited alone at night to hear her footsteps. He admits, “I loved her a little.”
“The Rock” Alice
This is an interesting shoe. Especially given how much he loved Alice, and “always will”. Is the loss of Alice still such a heavy weight that shoe becomes impractical and almost lost? Or was she just so solid and stable? Not our first choice in the awesome shoe department but it does inspire thought and reflection.
“Hot Bitch” Caroline
Another red shoe to get our undivided attention. A tale of lust as much as love, if love at all. But hot lust nonetheless, and Caroline clearly left our hero wanting more. Left him begging for more. Men wanted her. Women hated her. She oozed sex appeal. All the way down to her toes.
“Cry Baby” Alexandra
Our favorite shoe in a dozen winners – “Cry Baby” is a striking piece of sculpture. How did he capture the spilled milk so perfectly? Almost crown-like, this shoe tells the story of Alexandra, who came in on the rebound and cried for her former lover the entire time. Not good for the ego – but great for the inspiration. Life’s a trade off, right?
“Gold Digger” Alison
Ah yes, Alison. He’s not even sure he liked her, and thinks he may have been trying to prove his worth as a starving artist. However, her boss, her Porche and her friends with men who took them to Brazil for the weekend all got in the way. But she inspired one awesome shoe with a Greek statue (Atlas, to be specific) for the heel. Was she the heel? He seems to think so.
“GI Jane” Barbara
GI Jane came from a military family and her father made Sebastian very nervous. When the police caught the two of them one evening up in the hills, having sex in the car, Barbara had to call the Colonel (her Dad) who used his rank to get them out of an arrest. But our young artist was too scared to ever show his face again. This shoe has “Commando” written all over it. For Barbara, with love.
“Honey” Natasha
Dumped because he couldn’t get used to being treated so nicely. Probably the nicest tribute in these dozen shoes. Intricate honeycombs and a sunny yellow grace the footwear for Natasha. One has to wonder how she fared next time. Did he create a monster? Or was she happy to play Florence Nightingale for the next guy?
“Ice Queen” Sophie
The “Ice Queen” is pretty self-explanatory but check out the heel on that stiletto. She must have really pierced his pride, at least. Lovely lines in this shoe, and the choice of white is interesting – what was there about Sophie, that despite her frostiness, was pure and untouched? Maybe her heart?
“Jetsetter” Jessica
It’s no accident this shoe is red. It’s like a short story, where the devil offers temptations: My dad has a plane, we can fly to Paris where he has a house, I’ll get the dinner check – don’t worry your pretty little head. He felt bought by her – couldn’t sleep with her and sent her home. We all knew he could do the right thing after all, didn’t we?
With 12 Shoes for 12 Lovers, Sebastian Errazuriz takes a string of love stories (vignettes, some of them) and transforms them into…accusatory footwear. As a work of art, it’s an interesting progression. We’d love to see models on the runway in prototypes of these shoes – the artist being an avant-garde designer as well. It should get him a lot of attention in the art world. But good luck getting your next date.
More information at: Meet Sebastian
