Is shoefiti an art? Are you wondering why people hang shoes on power lines? Well, I was too!
Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines art as: “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” The controversy lies in what connotes aestheticism, naturally beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Generally speaking, I do not find graffiti particularly artistic, perhaps because I don’t appreciate public defacement of bridges, buildings, trains, and signs. I have, upon occasion, however been impressed by the sheer talent exhibited by some of these graffiti artists. I’ve taken a second glance and wished this artistic expression was painted onto a more appropriate canvas.
Strangely, I am mesmerized by shoefiti. This curious art form used to be called: “chucking chucks”, “tossing the galosh”, or “shoe slinging” .”Shoefiti” was coined by Ed Kohler in 2005. From the term spawned a website (www.shoefiti.com) where he collects shoefiti images from around the world and attempts to make sense of this odd form of art. Originally, shoefiti described shoes hung from power lines, however with the addition of “shoe trees” and most recently a group called “knitta please”, the term continues to expand in meaning.
