Grüner Schuh

Martha Jungwirth’s work frequently addresses the sociocultural situation of women. Jungwirth is well known for gestural and abstract paintings, but she was also active from the late 1960s to 1975 in the painters’ group named Realities, whose work was characterized by satirical and socially critical realism. In this early work of 1970 entitled “Green Shoe,” the artist presents a woman’s leg with a green shoe. Take a look at some details—the leg, black tights, maybe made of latex, high heels, the bright green shoe. The painting clearly shows traces of the painting process, like sketches, corrections, and mistakes in the lower part of the leg. This dark leg with no body contrasts strongly with the generous bright surface of the background. The black latex stocking and the bright green shoe with a high heel evoke images of fetishism. The foot and the shoe are presented here as symbols of sexual arousal and satisfaction. High heels connote the idea of female elegance, but high-heel shoes can also mean thoughts of reduced mobility, insecurity, and pain for some women. Whether high heels are a sexualized object of desire or the attribute of sublime elegance, they remain remarkably popular to this day.