Converse Rubber Shoe Company All Star/Non Skid, 1917. Converse Archives. Courtesy American Federation of Arts.
Looking for Art in All the Wrong/Right Places
Dear Readers,
The Summer 2016 issue of TAS is unusual. And I believe that is a good thing. Perhaps this is one of the reasons TAS exists: to be a place for artists and writers and musicians to explore not only what they know, but also to pursue a desire to explore what they do not know.
George Hornbein writes on The Rise of Sneaker Culture, an exhibition that is currently on view at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. An architect writing about the design of shoes, Hornbein is uncertain if an art museum is the place to view these objects. The High Museum has a long tradition of showing decorative art, and I can understand the impulse to show 150 pairs of sneakers, including rare early sneakers from the 1830’s. This show was organized by the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada. I like that Hornbein examines his own premises and prejudices in writing about this exhibit.
Andrew Dietz has long been interested in humor, probably in everything but most certainly in art. His reflects on how he came to appreciate the comic perspective thanks to his father’s early influence, and how he has sought out the “funny” in art, literature, comedy, and life ever since. This article made me think about my own sense of how important humor is and how difficult it can be to be comic in art. I value the personal perspective Dietz offers us.
Phil Auslander’s intellectual curiosity is always piqued when he comes across something he has not heard or read or seen before. When watching a BBC show in which the two main characters dance to an unfamiliar doo-wop song that sounds it like it was from the 50’s or 60’s, he needed to find out more about it. When Auslander did a little research on the music, he found it was actually produced in the late 80’s by Dave Antrell. Here, Auslander resurrects the musical passion and career of a little known artist.
I appreciate all our writers for addressing what is perhaps a different viewpoint. The search for art in what are not the usual places can indeed be rewarding.
All my very best,
Deanna
Deanna Sirlin
Editor-in-Chief
The Art Section
Deanna Sirlin is an artist. Her recent book is She's Got What It Takes: American Women Artists In Dialogue was Published by Charta Art Books 2013.
The Art Section is a 5013c organization.
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