The painting “New Shoes for H” by Don Eddy is a fantastic piece of art that was inspired by one of the pictures Eddy took while he was working as a photographer. The painting is an acrylic on canvas; it is ¼ by 5/16 by 3/16inches.Don Eddy was a photorealist, whereas photorealist is an artist who uses photographs as an inspiration for skillfully rendered representational images ( “History of art”). However, the paintings had a different and inner meaning that the photo did not display.
The art consists of various kinds of shoes, traffic, bystanders and buildings. The picture also has posters, bags and there is a glass that produces an obstruction to the whole painting. The different types of shoes displayed the different financial status of people; some could afford to purchase expensive shoes while others could only manage the cheap ones. Also, these various shoes could mean the different kinds of individuals in the society. Comparing the painting to the photograph taken, the two bring out different meanings. The picture was taken is black and white and thus dull, and the features are not clearly portrayed. However, the painting itself is colorful and bright, and thus the elements come out more clearly.
Eddy uses several glass obstructions in the picture precisely to make clear the fact that glass can alter everyday reality. The glass acted as an obstruction in viewing the images. However, not only the glass but also, the way painting can change the general opinion of the whole situation (“New Shoes for H”). The colorful paints and the brightness added to the picture made the art more attractive. Hence, he meant that circumstances could change jus by a little sugar-coating.
In conclusion, the title of the painting, “New shoes for could be used to mean a new beginning for a particular place or people. Or simple, new people in the society. However, it goes without saying that Don Eddy was one of the professional artists in history.
- “History of Art: Architecture and Sculpture.” History of Art.
- “New Shoes for H.” Cleveland Museum of Art.