Andy Warhol

Leo Castelli, New York
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 1992

Stuttgart, Staatsgalerie & Württembergischer Kunstverein; Hamburg, Deichtorhallen, Sammlungsblöcke. Stiftung Froehlich, 1996-97, p. 213, no. 301, illustrated in colour
London, Tate Gallery, The Froehlich Foundation. German and American Art from Beuys and Warhol, 1996, p. 213, no. 301, illustrated
Karlsruhe, ZKM/Museum für Neue Kunst, Faster! Bigger! Better! Signetwerke der Sammlungen, 2006-07, p. 315, illustrated in colour
Karlsruhe, ZKM/Museum für Neue Kunst, Klio. Eine kurze Geschichte der Kunst in Euroamerika nach 1945, 2007-08
Karlsruhe, Museum für Neue Kunst (on temporary loan June 2003 – September 2006)

Andy Warhol's interest in shoes spanned his entire career. Dating back longer than his fascination with the concept of celebrity, he first made his name in the 1950s as a major illustrator in New York drawing shoes for major shoe designers and magazines of the time, such as I. Miller and Glamour. Always elegantly depicted, Andy's shoes were right on the cutting edge of fashion and at the height of glamour, reflecting the most in-vogue styles of the age.

When Warhol decided to re-visit this emblematic theme in his oeuvre in 1980, he had just begun to develop a new silkscreen printing technique involving the use of diamond dust. First presented to him by Rupert Smith around 1979, this medium seemed purpose made for Warhol. Sparkling and glittering, the inherent qualities of diamond dust make a direct reference to movie star glamour, high fashion, fame and money. Conceptually, the merger of women's shoes and diamond dust was absolutely perfect and it would lead to some of his most dynamically composed late paintings. When Warhol developed his series, the Diamond Dust Shoes, the forms merged with the sumptuous texture of the diamond dust – the matte textured dust creates an opulent satin finish.

The present work is one of the largest sizes he made and exhibits a harmonious horizontal composition with all the tips of the shoes pointing towards the bottom in a slightly disarrayed but organized fashion. The deep hues of silvery blue and rich black collide on the surface, enhanced by the glistening diamond dust which catches the light and shimmers extravagantly. As with all of his great icons, Warhol has somehow managed to select an everyday image and elevate its status so that in this stunning work Warhol's shoes suddenly come alive with an unearthly quality.