BOOTS ON THE GROUND
What if we were in your shoes?
Boots On The Ground, 2016
Rope, carbon steel and British Army military boots
Unique work (100 pairs of boots)
H8m x W16 x D16m
© Mark Humphrey
CLIENT
Canary Wharf Group
COLLABORATORS
Corps of Royal Engineers (British Army)
Ministry of Defence
Royal Engineers Museum
CHARITIES
The Royal British Legion
Royal British Legion Industries
LOCATION
Canary Wharf Estate, Canary Wharf, London, UK
“BOOTS ON THE GROUND PLAYS ON THE MILITARY TERM FOR SOLDIERS BEING DEPLOYED INTO CONFLICT, PLACING THEM PHYSICALLY ON THE GROUND WHERE WAR TAKES PLACE. CREATED TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, THE GIANT POPPY INSTALLATION IS CONSTRUCTED FROM 99 PAIRS OF INTERCONNECTED ROPES AND 99 PAIRS OF MILITARY BOOTS. THE ROPES LINK EACH SOLDIER TOGETHER, CREATING A SINGLE REGIMENT – ONE BODY, ONE UNIT, ONE BOND.
MOST OF THE ROPES ARE RED, WHILE BLACK ROPES REPRESENT THE FALLEN. ONE PAIR OF BOOTS STANDS WITHOUT ROPES, REPRESENTING THE NEXT RECRUIT – THE SOLDIER YET TO JOIN, READY TO FILL THE SHOES OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE. EACH INDIVIDUAL BECOMES PART OF SOMETHING LARGER, BOUND TOGETHER BY DUTY, HISTORY AND THE HUMAN COST OF CONFLICT.”
Mark Humphrey
