Schoen gedragen door Jhr. Mr. Dr. A.W.L. Tjarda van Starkenborch Stachouwer 1930 - 1945

These leather boots, titled "Schoen gedragen door Jhr. Mr. Dr. A.W.L. Tjarda van Starkenborch Stachouwer" were made by U.S.A. Beebe Bros. What grabs me is the way the light catches on the worn leather, all those soft warm browns, that tell a story about time and use. I love the process of seeing how materials age and change. It’s like watching a painting evolve, layer by layer. These boots aren't trying to hide their history. The way the leather is creased around the toes and ankles shows how they’ve been bent and flexed over time, like an Abstract Expressionist painting, they embrace accident. In fact, the way the laces are tied, not too tight, not too loose, makes me think of a Cy Twombly drawing. These boots are a reminder that art, like life, is messy, imperfect, and beautiful, all at the same time.