The artwork is shown here as currently installed in the offices of Casa Wabi, Puerto Escondido, Mexico. (Permanent Collection, Casa Wabi). Sizes variable. Photographic Credit: Casa Wabi.

The artwork comprises 166 baked & unglazed ceramic shapes made from 101kg of raw clay sourced directly from a clay quarry nearby Casa Wabi, Mexico. Each clay shape is a ‘print’ made directly from my right heel. This quiet installation is the embodiment of a great deal of noise, movement and physical force.

I think of the work as an ode to the (lowly) heel. I carry most of my weight on my right heel. It grounds me, keeps me stable and physically propels me forward in this world.

That said, we no longer tiptoe through the world – humans are lazy and mostly wear shoes. Our distant forebears knew to be careful and constantly tested the ground with their toes before putting their full weight of their body on the earth. (To be fair we also travel greater distances more efficiently for purposes of hunting and gathering by walking heel first). The force of one’s impact on the material world is however greater when you step heel first, leaving a deeper, more lasting residue. The first footsteps by our ancestors on this world now date more than 3.6 million years ago.

The work is exhibited on a ‘path’ or base that slowly rises from the ground into the air to a height of 100cm. 

Special thanks:

Casa Wabi and its generous staff and benefactors for supporting the production of the artwork during my stay.

The Nirox Foundation, The Clair and Edoardo Villa Trust and the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) for supporting my participation in the residency programme.