Jo Cope
Jo Cope is a UK based artist, lecturer, guest speaker and alumni of the London Collage of Fashion where she studied her Masters in Fashion Artefacts. Crossing the boundaries of Fashion, Art, Craft and Performance Jo's unique practice draws inspiration from universal human experiences, psychology, philosophy and social trends.
For over a decade her work has been represented at a diverse range of prestigious events worldwide; including the Venice Biennale fringe festival, London Craft Week, London Design Festival, Fashion Matters at Buckingham Palace and Material Movement Gala at Sadler's Wells Theatre.
Her footwear artefacts have been exhibited internationally at top museums including: The Budapest Museum of Art, State Museum Russia and Decorative Arts Museum Paris. Jo classes her work as focused on 'The Human Side of Fashion' In her most recent project and role as curator of the Shoes Have Names exhibition, she collaborated with Shelter- the UK homeless Charity to raise awareness for the current housing emergency. She brought together 10 shoe designers/artists, of which 8 were amazingly talented females, with 10 individuals who had survived homelessness and who we helped by Shelter; to tell their stories.
Jo Copes' conceptual and future facing practice constantly pushes the formal boundaries of fashion questioning its evolving role within art and society.
What is the significance of red to the work?
Red is a 'live' visceral colour which expresses the emotional content in the work. Concepts of Love exist in a broader sense and the work examines complex emotions in relationships with the self and others.
Red means so many things to me it is an active and dynamic colour with great intensity which talks about the work representing the very current moment in time that I am experiencing, making sense of and processing in the work.
Which part of the process do you enjoy most?
Making is a very therapeutic state and place to both get lost in, but as a conceptual artist I would have to say 'thinking' and generating, evolving, manifesting ideas in the mind is the starting point - without a great concept, their is no work.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My life and the lives of others that I witness as well as important subjects in the wider society that need exposing and unraveling.
What would you like people to take away from your work?
I want people to look beyond what they already know in order to see things differently - to challenge visual perceptions of things that are familiar to them to rethink how functional objects can exist in an alternative reality.
In the work I have done in collaboration with the homeless charity Shelter it is about people learning more about individual stories and peoples lives through the symbolism embedded in the shoes.
Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?
Verner Panton, Pierre Cardin, Thierry Mugler, Tracey Emin, Marina Abramovic would be some of the important designers/artist to me in my own creative journey. Liza Snook from the Virtual Shoe Museum has been a great source of support and inspiration in her work as curator. Amy de la Haye is curator and writer who has a great book I have just read in my big pile of reading material 'Roses in Fashion' Helen Storey who is the first artist in residence in a refuge camp is inspirational in my pursuit of fashion with a social cause
What is the significance of designing shoes?
The foot and shoe is a significant part of our identity and evolution as humans - from our early migration to populate the earth and our very physical grounding and connection to the planet through walking and standing. Shoes for me have so many metaphors attached to them 'Walking in Circles' 'Moving Forwards' 'New Directions' are some of the titles of my shoe artworks which talk about our journey through life.
