Dimensions 30 x 30 x 8 cm
Jan Jansen original 2005
Jan Jansen original 2005
Sculptor Costis Magarakis was born in Greece. He currently lives and works in Tel Aviv. Shoes are often at the basis of his work. His hands transform a shoe into an animal, a specialized machine or the location where an alienating scene takes place. Each shoe tells a unique story which is clearly seen in the artwork. Magarakis’s sculptures emerge from a gothic wonder world that is the grey area where truth and lies constantly meet.
Magarakis finds inspiration in archetypes which he comes across in old children's books or toys and feels particularly drawn to. He is inspired by elements that bring back memories from his childhood. The unknown is a common thread found in his work.
An interesting feature of his working method is that he chooses not to use the actual shoe. Each shoe undergoes a specialized process that makes the shoe suitable to be made into a mould. The sculp- ture, therefore, is made of special wax and not the original shoe.
When Magarakis was asked to join the project, he stated he didn't know much about Jansen's work. On seeing photographs of Jansen's shoes, he was so impressed that he immediately decided to agree. He commented: His shoe designs had nothing to do with what I've seen so far. Truly unique.
The design Magarakis chose to work with is the well-known floating heel, this time featured in a black ankle boot. When he saw the shoe for the first time, he described it as ‘minimalistic’. The design that Jan Jansen created was brought back to shape and character: it inspired Costis to do exactly the opposite with his work. He found inspiration in the animal kingdom, or to be more specific, in the colourful oceanic world. His work You & Me brings two different worlds together.