This is the final work in a series of related works that have in common a template of the soles of a pair of shoes. The series reflects various ongoing interests, some of which have been active over a number of years. My influences and interests are interspecies mimesis, paper wasps, the female
gender, predominance of paper wasps and their social organisation, and the nests of paper wasps and hornets.

The venom of the paper wasp is used as a weapon, primarily for defending the colony. In the spy and thriller genre, the lethal capabilities of human female spies and assassins are often enhanced by disguise within clothing accessories such as handbags and shoes. A favourite example is Lotte Lena, as Col. Rosa Klebb, who conceals her ‘stinger’ in the toe of her shoe in the classic film From Russia with Love.

Joan Grounds – March 2016