The Red Shoe Delivery Service is a Brooklyn-based art collective which was conceived in 2003 by M.K. Guth, a New York-based artist, along with Molly Dilworth (who, upon receiving her MFA from NYU, has been active in fashion and art) and Cris Moss (a video artist based in Portland, Oregon). Last spring, the group was stationed at the New York art trade event the Armory Show. There, using the Swiss Institute booth as a command center, they shuttled people to their destination of choice, but only after the riders donned a pair of glittery red shoes.I caught the final ride out of the Armory Show. In the midst of what resembled an enormous bazaar with a dazzling array of art objects for sale, it was refreshing to be presented with something which not only was not for sale, but was free. And as if to play a pun on the usual associations between art, fashion and commerce, the objects that were not for sale were sparkly red shoes. After having picked a pair of red boots from the RSDS's vast collection, I settled in with the other riders; after a few blocks, the van had transformed itself into a mini-salon. As I went home, I jotted down some questions for the members of the collective, who soon after were off to PICA, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, where they continued their performative rides.
The Red Shoe Delivery Service: From the Armory to the Land of Oz
By Francesca Granata, Fashion Projects
January 1, 2006
