Begun at the turn of the 2000s, the Shoes series is at the heart of Cyril Hatt’s artistic practice, which he describes as follows:

“I take photographs of objects automatically, sometimes using a simple phone. I don’t try to compose around the subject either. I simply scan reality.

My second practice, sculpture, also remains elementary. I staple images end to end as they appear to construct an approximate volume. It’s a technique that could be compared to art brut. My practice is rooted in making, the repetition of gestures, and instantaneity. The resulting works are the fruit of a series of sometimes haphazard actions and a precarious visual assemblage.

I play with the image as an envelope. The objects I select are chosen for their image. They are emptied of their substance and exist only in appearance. They are, so to speak, ghosts.”

These “Shoes” can be reproduced at will by the artist, just as these objects are multiplied by consumer society, hence the absence of dates in the captions and other references to his everyday works.

Shoes series, general legend: 30 10/15 prints, adhesive, staples – 25 x 30 x 30 cm