En Pointe Illusion

Nothing is more important to a dancer than shoes. As an artist capturing the visual story of a dream not fully realized, I needed to encapsulate the most real image of unreal shoes that I possibly could. Pointe shoes are a contradiction in themselves; both firm and flexible, beautiful yet invisible, expertly made by artisans yet ultimately glued and taped by dancers. They cost a fortune but last only hours, and dancers dream of wearing them for years but can't wait to take them off after minutes. Turning and carving wood into illusionary pointe shoes, these sculptures are imperative in telling the full story of Boneyard Tutu.