Initial Observation Period
The first thing that I noticed when I saw this piece was the tire hanging. It was still, and seemed somewhat empty and sad- because when I picture a tire swing, I visualize children laughing and playing, the swing moving back and forth at full speed. I also noticed the different shoe pieces jutting out of the tire with many colors, sizes, and styles. Shoes and tires also seem to contradict one another- shoes represent walking, a tire represents automotive transportation. There are so many different types of shoes, but only one tire.
Secondary Observation Period
During my ten minutes of extended observation, I studied each of the individual shoe parts. Some were the tips of sneakers, others of dress shoes. The soles each had different impressions and levels of wear and tear. So many varying colors and textures. I got to thinking- whose shoes were these? They each had their own personality, their own voice. Whoever chose them, picked them out as a representation of their own personal style. Shoes can really offer valuable insight into a person. Who owned that hefty work boot? Who once wore that pointed heel? Each shoe seemed to be making a statement.
As I asked myself these questions, I had this moment of déjà vu, and realized that I had seen a similar art instillation, also involving shoes, in Israel. The piece was displayed at Yad Va’Shem, the Israeli Holocaust Museum. On the floor was a piece of clear glass, and beneath that, were layers upon layers of old shriveled up shoes taken from Jews right before they were sent to their deaths in gas chambers. Visitors were encouraged to stand on top of the glass, look down, and view their own shoes amongst those of the deceased. Some shoes were basic leather flats, others elaborate dress shoes. Similar to Nari Ward’s piece, each of those shoes had a story, personality, and carried the aura of their former owner.
It was then that I noticed the rope that the tire was hanging from- it was fashioned as a noose. Still thinking about the shoes in the Holocaust Museum, it shook me a little bit. But it wasn’t until I read the blurb on the wall that I realized my initial horror was more than appropriate. The noose was supposed to represent lynching, and the swing is actually estimated to be the approximate height of ne that has been hanged. The shoes, like those of Jewish Holocaust victims, served to reference humans killed because of racism and xenophobia. Each shoe represents a life lost to violence and hatred from one human being toward another. No matter the culture, religion, or race, a life is a life, and a shoe is representative of that.
