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Chris Francis

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Chris Francis (born 1976, Kokomo, Indiana) is an American artist, living and working in Los Angeles.[1] Beginning as an artist and carpenter, Francis eventually started creating leather wear worn by Mötley Crüe's Mick Mars, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, and former Runaways guitarist Lita Ford.[2] Francis gained acclaim as a high-concept shoe designer creating wearable art.[3]

Education

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Francis attended the Maryland Institute College of Art for over a year but did not complete the program. He traveled the United States on freight trains for five years and worked as a tree topper, street-side shoe shiner, worked on fishing ships, washed windows, worked on film sets, and finally was a carpenter.[1]

Francis is a self-taught shoe designer and began creating wearable art in 2011 after seeing a guest shoemaker hand stitch shoes at a Louis Vuitton event in Los Angeles.[2] Without a proper leather sewing machine Francis did all the work by hand, and in the beginning he did not have proper shoe lasts, so he carved them himself in a park. He picked up shoe making tools from other shoemakers in the Hollywood area.[1]

Art

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Francis creates shoes as an artist, finding inspiration in his favorite books, architecture, music, vintage machines, and flea market finds.[4]

Francis cites architects Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Terry de Havilland, and artist Josef Albers as his inspiration.[5][6]

Selected works

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For his exhibition at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, Chris Francis: Shoe Designer, his entire studio was transported to the storefront of the museum, taking residency for the remaining show.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Benesh-Liu, Patrick R. "CHRIS FRANCIS: TINKER, TAILOR, SHOEMAKER". Orrnament Magazine. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b ANDERSON, KRISTIN (24 February 2016). "Inside the Incredible World of L.A.'s Glam-Rock Shoemaker". Vogue. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  3. ^ Johns, Nikara (16 August 2016). "Custom Shoemaker Chris Francis On Bridging Art & Fashion". Footwear News. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b Senn, Evan (2 June 2015). "Hand-Stitched: The Art of Chris Francis' Shoes". KCET Artbound Architecture and Design. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Wearable Brutalism: A Collection of Brutal Shoes". Metropolis Magazine. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  6. ^ Anderton, Frances (28 May 2015). "Chris Francis Creates Shoes Made For Gawking". KCRW Design and Architecture. Retrieved 8 October 2017.