High Heels

A regular clubgoer in the 1970’s and 80’s, Rispoli documented the irreverent Punk Rock and New Wave club scenes in downtown NYC by creating metaphorical portraits of women via their shoes. Distilling the frenzied nighttime energy of NYC’s clubs and sidewalks into frozen moments, Rispoli offers the viewer only a segment of the body; colorful and graphical compositions highlight the curve of the leg, ankle, and foot adorned with the threatening and thrilling pedestal of the high heel.

Rispoli’s “High Heel” fetish led to his pursuit of photographing them. Recognizing the inherent performance of sexuality and desire in both fashion and club culture, Rispoli documented the intertwining of the two. He frequented Danceteria, TR3, Max’s Kansas City, CBGB’s and many other clubs in Soho, Chelsea, downtown, and uptown. He asked female clubgoers if he could photograph their shoes, utilizing the found environments, props, and bathrooms of the clubs, as well as sidewalks and rooftops of the city, as his backdrops. As the women project their personality and attitude in front of the camera, Rispoli becomes a collaborator in documenting the “the sexually charged identity performance of late-70s New Wave NYC” (Ongley) as it played out on the stages of night and street life.