CARAPACE 3 - 26 NOVEMBER 2022 →

The shell of the horseshoe crab is not unlike the armor we build up around ourselves: a personal carapace that protects us from the surrounding world.

 

Within the horseshoe crab, there are millions of years of evolution. They remain unchanged, a living fossil. The simplicity and beauty of their carapace, made up of three sections, is designed to shield and disguise a fragile body flowing with blue blood. This blood, unknown to them, is sought after by man; an invaluable discovery for science.

 

As humans we must create our own defensive covering. We use clothing, markings, disguises, self-confidence, attitude, demeanor. We guard our own resilience, fragility, reserve, purity, boringness, excitement, and even greed.

 

Perhaps through greater openness and understanding we can soften our armor and lower our shields to expose the beauty within us.

Silas Finch, Befittings, 2021 →

Shoes are befitting to who we are. 

 

They offer a glimpse into the life of the wearer. They have personality, speak of stature, strife, labor, and craft. In movement and standing still, they are suggestive for how one carries themself. Over time, they become worn, tired, wrinkled, scuffed, set aside, and lost. Within their textures and antiquity I am drawn to search for a story.

 

Beneath the layers of deconstruction are the unseen details, last touched by the shoe's unknown crafter. Each set of shoes offers a new puzzle for how to create a reconnection. Using all the components removed from the pair, I bring back each layer with a natural connection, sewn and stitched to match the maker's craftsmanship. 

 

The result is a sense of collaboration reaching from past to present. I find multiple meanings within the creations: balance, stillness, partnership, rhythm, relationship, discomfort. I also find memories of friends who have passed, and totems to friends who remain.