Portable Walls
Äkkigalleria Residency Project, Jyväskylä, Finland
by Ya-chu Knag
http://www.akkigalleria.fi/aumlkkigalleria-35.html
These were old boots found in deserted farm barns when I was a stationed artist in Finland. They were in traditional Finnish style, made of wool. This photo is exactly the scene of abandoned boots on the spot. By searching, finding, cleaning this pair of boots, I was able to search for and redefine the meaning of time and value of items. Washing the dirt off the boots was a way to pay tribute to the past. The wrinkles on bleached surface and worn soles of boots were evident without dirt covering on them. The boots recorded time along with what time could impose on everything. This is my reflection on and response to the relationship among movement, labor, and environments.