Robert Lawrence,
My Dad's Boots.
www.h-e-r-e.com

My Dad's Boots by Paola Kontrick

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Among the artists of a new digitial generation is Robert Lawrence. He uses an unconventional form of art that consists of several elements such as video images, electronic devices, found/sculpted objects and written text that are complemented by a website. The key to his artwork is not the objects by themselves, but what their combination conveys as a whole. His interest is in the reaction of the spectator caused by the association of elements.

In his work called My Dad’s Boots, he presents a silent video projected on a wall of a man walking with one foot on each side of a yellow line on a road. On the right foot, the man is wearing a boot and on the left side the foot is naked. The projection is placed at the bottom of the wall; above it is an empty space, and at the very top a circle of light frames his father’s boot. There is also a separate component that contains a more conceptual view and provides some narrative that extends the artist’s proposition.

This kind of artwork brings out some unexpected thoughts and feelings to the viewer. At first glance, this particular piece seems absurd and even comical, but if the viewer can afford enough time, some involuntary thoughts and reactions begin to emerge. The association of these elements is like a key to getting into the viewer’s subconscious, revealing fractions of the observer’s personality. Once the viewer find something that relates to him, he will be either more pleased or completely disappointed when he gets to the website (http://www.h-e-r-e.com/dadsboots.html), where he will find sentences related to the art piece that add more meaning to it. Phrases such as “Put on your father’s boots… Walk till you’re understood”, “Put on your father’s boots… Keep walking till you feel better”, “Put on your father’s boots… Keep walking till you agree”, just to mention a few, give us a better understanding of what the artist wants to say and make us reflect on our own lives.

From my point of view, this piece conveys several messages. The fact that the man is walking with only one shoe and that shoe is on the right foot makes me think of how we are shaped by our environment and our society. The places we go, the work we do, the education we received, the economical position we have, are all represented on the right foot because that is considered to be the side that rules. We all have heard sayings such as “to start the day on the right foot” or “do things the right way”, in other words “right” means good, correct, normal. Then, on the left side, we have a bare foot that represents who we really are; it gives me a sense of vulnerability and insecurity. This is a side of us that we don’t show to everybody, we’re afraid of others detecting our weakness and our fears. There is a duality in human beings between who we are and who we want to be. These two entities walk along with us wherever we go. On the other hand, the fact that this particular boot is his father’s boot, and that the boot is old, makes me think of the respect he feels for his father’s life and experience. When he says: “Put on your father’s boots…Keep walking till you get that you won’t get it”; he is really saying: Don’t worry to much about anything; do what you have to do, learn from your mistakes and from others’ experiences, listen to the ones who love you and keep walking. In the end, that is what life is all about, so “move on”.

Robert Lawrence’s unique form of expression accomplishes its mission, once we open the door to our inner personality, and causes a reaction in us. That seems to be what the artist had in mind when he conceived the work. Although at first glance this kind of artwork could seem absurd, if the spectator gives it a second thought, its depth becomes apparent and I’m sure the viewer will be surprised with the outcome of this interesting experience.