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Styling is an assemblage made almost entirely from bits and pieces discarded by shoemakers. The figure’s shoulders and breasts were crafted from well-used brown shoe soles, some with holes in them. Her neck, face, and ears were made from overlapping black soles, and the hair from long curving strips of leather. Orange heel lifts form the lips, while the eyes are metal cleats. The expression she wears is one of apparent surprise.
The mixed media technique and the mask-like structure of Styling derive from African tribal art, where ritual objects were made from a variety of available materials. Usually, for instance, white or light colored shells formed the eyes; here, cleats have replaced them. In addition, the emphasis on the hairstyle recalls Benin bronze heads. Thus, Styling emerges as a delightful play on age-old traditions. Furthermore, Toone seems to lampoon the “Black is Beautiful” movement in which his wife is such a force. He recently commented about the piece: “This image was inspired while owning and operating a natural hair salon in the heart of Harlem. She represents the freedom to express ourselves through hair and embrace our unique characteristics while practicing this cultural ritual.” [1]
On a more serious note, Toone’s reliance on shoe soles is both practical and symbolic. He explains the former: “I have a select group of shoemakers and shoe repair shops from whom I collect old and new souls [sic] and scraps from their repairs. In the creative process I am guided by the vision and materials at hand. The final product is a merge of these two. Sometimes the materials have a greater influence on the overall final work than any preconception of the piece.” [2] The connection between sole and soul may not be purely coincidental; worn-out shoe soles—complete with holes—are reminders of the troubled history many blacks suffered and the many miles they have walked. “Soul” on the other hand is used to describe African-American food and music. With his creative insight and vision, Toone has transformed the legacy of soles into a soulful object of beauty, pride, and amusement.
Notes:
[1] Toone e-mail message to Martha R. Severens, December 19, 2011, archives, Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
[2] Toone e-mail message to Mila Rossi, September 29, 2003, archives, Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
ProvenanceFrom 2001
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC, purchased from artist through Diggs Gallery, Winston-Salem, NC on November 2001. [1]
Notes:
[1] Invoice and Board Minutes, object file.
Exhibition History2005-2006
Paper, Leather, Wood: Materials and African American Art of the Twentieth Century
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (11/15/2005 - 4/16/2006)
2016-2018
Off the Wall: Postmodern Art at Reynolda
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (12/3/2016-6/11/2018)
Published References
DepartmentAmerican Art
Styling
Artist
Lloyd Toone
(born 1941)
Date1998
Mediummixed media (shoe soles)
DimensionsOverall (approximate): 34 x 23 in. (86.4 x 58.4 cm)
SignedLLOYD TOONE
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Copyright© Lloyd Toone
Object number2001.3.1
DescriptionThe inventiveness of mixed media artists is sometimes limitless. Lloyd Toone’s inspiration comes not only from the materials he can scrounge and his African roots, but also from his wife’s career as a fashion model and owner of a hair salon. Styling is an assemblage made almost entirely from bits and pieces discarded by shoemakers. The figure’s shoulders and breasts were crafted from well-used brown shoe soles, some with holes in them. Her neck, face, and ears were made from overlapping black soles, and the hair from long curving strips of leather. Orange heel lifts form the lips, while the eyes are metal cleats. The expression she wears is one of apparent surprise.
The mixed media technique and the mask-like structure of Styling derive from African tribal art, where ritual objects were made from a variety of available materials. Usually, for instance, white or light colored shells formed the eyes; here, cleats have replaced them. In addition, the emphasis on the hairstyle recalls Benin bronze heads. Thus, Styling emerges as a delightful play on age-old traditions. Furthermore, Toone seems to lampoon the “Black is Beautiful” movement in which his wife is such a force. He recently commented about the piece: “This image was inspired while owning and operating a natural hair salon in the heart of Harlem. She represents the freedom to express ourselves through hair and embrace our unique characteristics while practicing this cultural ritual.” [1]
On a more serious note, Toone’s reliance on shoe soles is both practical and symbolic. He explains the former: “I have a select group of shoemakers and shoe repair shops from whom I collect old and new souls [sic] and scraps from their repairs. In the creative process I am guided by the vision and materials at hand. The final product is a merge of these two. Sometimes the materials have a greater influence on the overall final work than any preconception of the piece.” [2] The connection between sole and soul may not be purely coincidental; worn-out shoe soles—complete with holes—are reminders of the troubled history many blacks suffered and the many miles they have walked. “Soul” on the other hand is used to describe African-American food and music. With his creative insight and vision, Toone has transformed the legacy of soles into a soulful object of beauty, pride, and amusement.
Notes:
[1] Toone e-mail message to Martha R. Severens, December 19, 2011, archives, Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
[2] Toone e-mail message to Mila Rossi, September 29, 2003, archives, Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
ProvenanceFrom 2001
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC, purchased from artist through Diggs Gallery, Winston-Salem, NC on November 2001. [1]
Notes:
[1] Invoice and Board Minutes, object file.
Exhibition History2005-2006
Paper, Leather, Wood: Materials and African American Art of the Twentieth Century
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (11/15/2005 - 4/16/2006)
2016-2018
Off the Wall: Postmodern Art at Reynolda
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (12/3/2016-6/11/2018)
Published References
Status
On view1891-1914