Tuesday, February 28, 2012

ANDRÉ PERUGIA & ANDY WARHOL | 1953 [NOT 1955] | THE CUBIST SANDAL | FROM FOOTWEAR TO ART [AND BACK AGAIN] | PART 1/2 |

Una premessa: André Perugia ha lavorato come consulente tecnico del marchio Charles Jourdan dal 1960 al 1966 (Fonte: Marie-Josèphe Bossan - L'Art De La Chaussure, 2004). Nel 1970 si é ritirato dall'attività lavorativa e - dopo la morte (novembre 1977) - ha lasciato i propri archivi alla Charles Jourdan, all'epoca guidata da Roland Jourdan, figlio del fondatore.

One key fact to know is that André Perugia worked for the brand Charles Jourdan as a consultant between the years 1960 and 1966 (Source: Marie-Josèphe Bossan - L'Art De La Chaussure, 2004). He retired in 1970 and upon his death (November 1977) left his archive to Charles Jordan, at that time led by Roland Jourdan, the founder's son.


1953 | André Perugia |
The Cubist Sandal

Il sandalo cubista di André perugia é stato messo in vendita da Saks Fith Avenue (New York) a partire dal novembre 1953, il che consente di modificare la datazione solitamente attribuita (1955).

Un esemplare é conservato al Bata Shoe Museum di Toronto e questa foto di Sheila Thompson é una delle poche esistenti in rete. Opinione comune vuole che il sandalo sia un tributo a Picasso, ma alcuni hanno azzardato riferimenti a Fernand Leger e Georges Braque, quest'ultimo già citato da Perugia nella celebre scarpa pesce.


The cubist sandal was up for sale at Saks Fith Avenue starting from November 1953, so the recurring date in books and web sites (1955) must be amended.

A Perugia's cubist sandal is kept at the Bata Shoe Museum of Toronto. This photo by Sheila Thompson is one of the few available on the net. It is been said it's a tribute to Picasso but over the years others tried to explain it with references to Fernand Leger and Georges Braque, the latter being the inspiration for the infamous fish shoe.



André Perugia | From the book 
HEAVENLY SOLES by Mary Trasko | 
Abbeville Press | 1989


Da ricordare il libro di Mary Trasko, "Heavenly Soles" dove si afferma che:

"Sandalo disegnato da Picasso e realizzato da Perugia, fine anni '50. Realizzato in numero limitato come oggetto promozionale. Questo esemplare é stato regalato a un dirigente del Ministero della Cultura francese"

Che il disegno sia di Picasso é difficile da credere. Rimane valida la prima ipotesi (tributo a Picasso) considerando che proviene direttamente dalla Charles Jourdan che tra l'altro stava preparando la celebrazione del trentennale del sandalo cubista.

Vediamo come.


Let's not forget the book "Heavenly Shoes" by Mary Trasko which states that:

"Shoe designed by Pablo Picasso and fabricated by Perugia, late fifties. A small number were made as promotional items, this one given to an official in the French Ministry of Culture".

The "shoe designed by Picasso" part is very unlikely, however the Picasso tribute theory still stands true: it came straight from the brand Charles Jourdan when they were planning the sandal's 30th anniversary.

Let's see how.


1984 | Andy Warhol | Sandals
Unique screenprint on Moulin du Verger paper

Altre foto del sandalo le ha scattate Andy Warhol (dove sono?) per realizzare alcune stampe - rare e poco conosciute - commissionate dalla Charles Jourdan nel 1984 per l'apertura di XAVIER DANAUD, un negozio C.J. a SoHo, New York.

In contemporanea, presso la boutique Charles Jourdan a Dallas, veniva inaugurata la C.J. Shoe Museum Exhibit (cfr. foto nelle note): 85 scarpe di Perugia tra cui il nostro sandalo cubista, la scarpa-pesce e vari modelli appartenuti alle solite celebrità.

Nota a margine: le stampe di Warhol - su carta Moulin du Verger di produzione francese e fatta a mano - sono andate all'asta nel 2009 e nel 2010.


Other pictures of the sandal were taken by Andy Warhol (where are they?) to produce some rare screen-prints commissioned for the 1984 opening of XAVIER DANAUD, a Charles Jourdan shoe store in SoHo, New York.

Meanwhile in Dallas, Texas opened the C.J. Shoe Museum Exhibit (August 1984) at the Charles Jourdan boutique. 85 Perugia models including our sandal, the fish-shoe and the usual array of shoes owned by celebrities.

On a side note: Moulin du Berger is a hand-made French paper. The screenprints went on auction back in 2009 and 2010.




1984 | Andy Warhol | Sandals
Unique screenprint on Moulin du Verger paper/1

1984 | Andy Warhol | Sandals
Unique screenprint on Moulin du Verger paper/

Esiste almeno un'altra stampa dei sandali, ma é impossibile da trovare in rete. Rimediamo con un altro Warhol battuto da Christie's per $ 32.810 nel 2007.

There's at least another screenprint of the sandals but impossible to find on the net. We'll save the day with another Warhol sold at Christie's back in 2007 for $ 32,810.


1984 | Andy Warhol | Sandal
Synthetic polymer and graphite on paper
Source: Christie's

E per concludere: l'unica foto disponibile della replica Charles Jourdan per il trentennale del sandalo di Perugia, in mostra al Museo di Saint-Maur (Ile de France) nell'ambito dell'esposizione "Step By Step" (2008).

And to wrap things up: this is the only picture available of the C.J. replica for the 30th anniversary, shown at the Saint-Maur Museum (Ile de France) at the "Step By Step" exhibit back in 2008. 


Charles Jourdan
Replica for the 30th Anniversary of the Perugia sandal



F O O T N O T E S

[1]
Charles Jourdan ha venduto il marchio XAVIER DANAUD nel 1992 a Yves Desfarge, ex direttore generale del marchio stesso.

Charles Jourdan sold the brand XAVIER DANAUD back in 1992 to brand's former general manager Yves Desfarge.



[2]

André Perugia shoes at the C.J.Shoe Museum Exhibit
August 1984 | Texas Monthly, Dallas TX

Ritaglio di giornale prezioso, ma le scarpe non erano mostrate per la prima volta negli Stati Uniti. Erano semplicemente dimenticate. Nel dicembre dello stesso anno (1984) la mostra arrivò a New York, così come riportato dal New York Times.

A precious paper clipping, but the shoes were not shown for the first time. They were just forgotten for almost 30 years. In December (1984) the exhibition arrived in New York as riported by The New York times.


MEANWHILE, a retrospective showing of the shoe designs of Andre Perugia opened at Charles Jourdan in Trump Tower. One of the great shoe designers from the 1920's to the 1950's, Perugia created designs that were more sculpture than anything else, including a high­ heeled shoe without a heel and a shoe with a corkscrew heel. He also did a shoe called the Picasso, which, with its cantilevered heel, was never made for walking. The show is worth a detour. 
John Duka | Notes On Fashion
The New York Times - December 4, 1984


[3]
Il sandalo di Perugia nascosto dal logo YSL.

The Perugia sandal behind the YSL logo.


YSL | Spring/Summer 2008 |
Hero Sandals | YSL via Stefano Pilati


Stefano Pilati proud of himself
October, 4 - 2007
Photo by Marcio Madeira
Source: Vogue.com


ANDRÉ PERUGIA & ANDY WARHOL
| PART 2/2 |

ANDRÉ PERUGIA
D O S S I E R


Saturday, February 25, 2012

1961 - 1962 | ROY LICHTENSTEIN | KEDS |

1961 | Roy Lichtenstein | Keds
Oil On Canvas 

1962 | Roy Lichtenstein | Keds
Frottage and graphite pencil 

R E F E R E N C E 

1958 | Sears Catalog
Sears Cushion Arch Jeepers


SHOES & ART
1832 - 2009

ROY LICHTENSTEIN
1962 | FLATTEN -- SANDFLEAS!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

1955 - 1960 | ANDY WARHOL FOR I. MILLER | PART 1

By August (1950), he had gotten his first break: an assignment to illustrate shoes for Glamour magazine. They liked what he did so much they immediately gave him six more pages in the same issue, illustrating, appropriately, a feature entitled “Climbing the Ladder of Success.” The credit mistakenly read “Drawings by Warhol” - that’s how Andy dropped the “a.”
Bob Colacello
From: Holy Terror. Andy Warhol Close Up (Harper Collins Publishers, 1990)


1955
Warhol for I.Miller


Andy and I began a campaign, which was unprecedented at the time. We ran full pages, half pages, every Sunday in the “New York Times.” And it was a spectacular showcase for I. Miller and for Andy as well. It expanded his audience in a way that no magazine editorial ever could have. 
In a sea of tiny little images that were the pages of the Times, these bold blockbuster fantasies were extraordinarily effective. What the ads did was to revitalize and revive the I. Miller brand, and from a dowdy, musty, fusty, dusty, dowager establishment, it became a stylish emporium for debutantes.
Jerry Stutz (I.Miller president) | 1998
From: The Warhol Look: Glamour, Style, Fashion exhibition audioguide.
Produced by Antenna Radio with The Warhol Museum



1955 |Andy Warhol
Painting & Collage


1958 | Andy Warhol for I. Miller
The New York Times, August, 24
Source: oaj.oxfordjournals.org

1955 | Warhol for I.Miller
Source: MSU

1958 | Warhol for I.Miller & others
Harper's Bazaar | July

1960 | Warhol for I.Miller, Palizzio, Anne Rubin & others
Harper's Bazaar | December

Andy Warhol | August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987 |
Source: Wyoming99!



Andy Warhol passed away in New York February, 22 - 25 years ago.

ANDY WARHOL I.MILLER
PART 2

ANDY WARHOL FOR DAVID EVINS
MORE I.MILLER ADS

STEPPIN IN HER I. MILLER SHOES
A LOST AMERICAN CLASSIC | ISRAEL MILLER | DeLuxe Shoes |

ANDY WARHOL | POP ARTisan
IT'S ALL ABOUT SHOES



1955-1959 | I.Miller ads collage of 4
Source: The Archives Of The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh

Sunday, February 19, 2012

STYLE | TOTÒ | 1955 | BY GUY BOURDIN & UMBERTO ECO |

1955 | Totò (Prince Antonio De Curtis)
Photo by Guy Bourdin
Source: Mutual Art

Il che m'indurrebbe a riflettere su come, in questo universo globalizzato in cui pare che ormai tutti vedano gli stessi film e mangino lo stesso cibo, esistano ancora fratture abissali e incolmabili tra cultura e cultura. Come faranno mai a intendersi due popoli di cui uno ignora Totò? 
Umberto Eco
Da: Ma che capirà il cinese? - La bustina di Minerva, L'Espresso, 15 novembre 2007

In this globalized universe where it seems that everyone's watching the same movies and eating the same food, there are still abysmal and overwhelming fractures separating one culture from another. How can two peoples, one of which unknowing of Totò, truly understand each other? 

Umberto Eco
From: La bustina di Minerva, weekly column for L'Espresso magazine - November, 15 2007


Thursday, February 16, 2012

SERENDIPITY | THE SHOEMAKER RANCIR & CHARLES JOURDAN [WITH GUY BOURDIN]

Parabiago, Milan
Unknown photographer

Ca. 1984 | Charles Jourdan
Ad campaign by Guy Bourdin
Source: Mutual Art

Monday, February 13, 2012

1956 | A. AMBOLDI & FIGLI | NERVIANO, MILAN

1956 | A. Amboldi & Figli
Nerviano, Milan


1961 | Amboldi & Figli

1962 | Amboldi & Figli
Nerviano, Milan


Saturday, February 11, 2012

AT THE MUSEUM | NORTHAMPTON MUSEUMS & ART GALLERY | PART 2/2 |


PART 2/2

Detail of the Life and Sole Gallery
Northampton Museum

1959 | Force, Fashion, Footwear
By Christopher Fiddes

1961 | The Clicker
By Christopher Berrisford

1979 | Experiment with Shoes
By Alison DeCleyn

1630-1650 | The Cobbler
By Jan Miel





More

Thursday, February 9, 2012

1965 | MORLACCHI | PARABIAGO, MILAN

1965 | E. MORLACCHI
Parabiago, Milan


MORLACCHI
Parabiago, Milan
I N D E X




1965 | E. MORLACCHI
Parabiago, Milan

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

AT THE MUSEUM | NORTHAMPTON MUSEUMS & ART GALLERY | PART 1/2 |



Ca 1740 | An 18th Century Cobbler
Unknown artist [possibly Flemish]

1956 | The Hand Sewing Lessons
By Stanley A. Crick

1957 | Workman's Clogs
By Violet Day

1959 | Boots and Bottles
By Edith E. Foster

1965 | The Cobbler's Shop
By Jehan Daly



MORE

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

1965 | SAGUATTI & C.| BOLOGNA |

1965 | Saguatti & Co. |
Bologna

1965 | Saguatti & Co. | 
Bologna

1966
SAGUATTI & C
Bologna

Monday, February 6, 2012

1970 - 71 | TITANO - SHOEMAKER TO THE CHAMPIONS | INTER F.C.

1970-71 | I GIOCATORI DELL'INTER AL CALZATURIFICIO TITANO

Il “mago” Helenio Herrera, venne esonerato dopo quattro giornate all'inizio della stagione 1970/71; appena prima - probabilmenbte durante la preparazione estiva - il tecnico e la squadra avevano fatto visita al calzaturificio Titano di Cerro Maggiore, Milano. In quegli anni era consuetudine che nomi noti dello sport italiano e internazionale facessero scorta delle calzature create da Adriano Sciuccati e dai due designer Salvatore Deodato e Armando Alberti.

Trainer Helenio Herrera, A.K.A. "The Wizard", was fired after four games at the beginning of the season (1970/71). Earlier that year - probably during summer training - the footbal team stopped by Cerro Maggiore's Titano for shopping. It was the norm back then as the Titano hosted quite often well known players as a marketing campaign to showcase the new models created by Titano's owner Adriano Sciuccati, in-house designer Armando Alberti and Salvatore Deodato.


1970 | Trainer Helenio Herrera at Titano's
Cerro Maggiore, Milan

Queste foto - che decoravano le pareti del Titano - furono in parte pubblicate sulla rivista Foto Shoe e ci fanno ritrovare i nomi più famosi delle cronache calcistiche del tempo: Helenio Herrera, Sandro Mazzola, i due attaccanti Jair da Costa (brasialiano) e Roberto Boninsegna (capocannoniere per due stagioni consecutive), Mario Corso, il portiere Lido Vieri, e lo scomparso Giacinto Facchetti.

Some of these photographs, which decorated the Titano’s walls, were published by trade magazine Foto Shoe. Representing the Inter F.C. were: Helenio Herrera, Sandro Mazzola, the two forwards: Brazilian Jair da Costa and Roberto Boninsegna (top scorer in two consecutive seasons), Mario Corso,  goalkeeper Lido Vieri and the late Giacinto Facchetti.



1970 | Sandro Mazzola at Titano's
Cerro Maggiore, Milan

1970 | Tarcisio Burgnich (L) and Mario Bertini at Titano's
Cerro Maggiore, Milan

1970 | Jair Da Costa (L) and (semi-hidden) Giacinto Facchetti at Titano's
Cerro Maggiore, Milan

1971 | Giancarlo Cella and Jair Da Costa
Titano's stand at the Bologna Footwear Fair
(Foreground a shoe from the Wight series)

1971 | Lido Vieri (semi-hidden) and Mario Corso
Titano's Stand at the Bologna Footwear Fair

1971 | Lido Vieri holding a Salvatore Deodato model
Titano's Stand at the Bologna Footwear Fair

1971 | Roberto Boninsegna at Titano's
Cerro Maggiore, Milan