Top image: Simon Mullan photographed by his brother, Julian Mullan

Swedish cult brand Eytys are known for their innovative collaborations. They have worked with creatives as diverse as the alluring Kristin-Lee Moolman, who photographed their SS17 campaign in South Africa, to legendary skateboarder Ali Boulala, who created his ideal ‘post-skate’ shoe for the label.

This season Eytys recruits the meditative eye of German artist Simon Mullan to reimagine their ‘Mother’ trainer. Constructed from patches of MA-1 bomber fabric, the trainers were inspired by Mullan’s 2014 series Alpha. Fascinated by subculture, Mullan here tells us how he explored the iconography behind the bomber by deconstructing them to make large scale patchwork quilts. 

Nazanin Shahnavaz: The bomber jacket is charged with history, what made you want to explore that as an artist?
Simon Mullan: My first encounter with the jacket was strongly related to fear. As a teenager, I skated a lot in Donauinsel (Danube Island ) in Vienna. It was a concrete paradise. The only thing disturbing our fun where the so called Neo Nazis, who for some reason did not like us skaters. They would usually show up in groups of ten, mostly wearing green alpha industry bomber jackets.

“The only thing disturbing our fun where the so called Neo Nazis, who for some reason did not like us skaters.”

NS: How has the bomber manifested in your work?
SM: After studying trans-media art at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, I started to work with performance. I organised a series of car performances, like a burnout in front of a gallery and I played a concert from four different car Hi-Fi systems. I started to use my friends as staff, dressed in blue jeans and bombers they would hand out free vodka to the crowds at the shows. Over the years I collected many jackets, I imagined how it would look if I patched them all together and decided one day to cut them up. Even today, I talked to a security guard, who as part of my latest performance will be wearing a bomber and following me to Vienna contemporary art fair.

NS: What drew you to collaborate with Eytys?
SM: Both co-founders, Max [Schiller] and Jonathan [Hirschfeld] have a genuine interest in art, which was important for me. They approached me about the collaboration, and wanted to work with the story to make a signature shoe. I like everything about Eytys, it’s a cool brand. They’ve worked with interesting characters, like Ali Boulala, who’s an absolute legend.

NS: How did you translate those subcultural values back into a totally different kind product?
SM: I think the MA-1 nylon fabric is so symbolic that it doesn’t solely depend on the form of an object, people can still make the connections to the subculture associated to the bomber. Even though the shoes are smaller than my artworks, they still make an impression – especially as they are also lined with traditional orange bomber lining.

NS: Do you think what you’re exploring changes meaning as it morphs from jacket, to art, to trainer?
SM: There is always some transformation happening in my art. When I buy the jackets, they are jackets, rain proof and warm to wear. When I am done with them they are art pieces, they need a certain temperature in order to stay stretched – museum temperature – and are not to be touched again. To use the patchwork routine to create a shoe, felt like a very straight-forward and organic process.

NS: Why did you include your phone number on the soles of the trainers? Have you received any calls yet?
SM: Your phone number is what connects you in the art world, as well as in any other business. And yes, I’ve already received calls, and funny texts. It’s funny, people don’t believe it’s my actual phone number.

NS: Can you talk me through the campaign? What prompted you to ride a motorbike and get a tattoo?
SM: Max believed it would much more authentic if I modelled the campaign. I basically packed my studio outfit and asked my friend Christopher [Insulander] to do the styling, he’s a legend and was my guardian angel so to say. I’ve previously worked with artist Linnea Sjöberg – who gave me the tattoo – and her project Salong Flyttkartong has been a big inspiration to me. I just got engaged and thought the tattoo would impress my woman – it did not! Na, serious, I am a romantic guy, a bit like a skipper that is away for months, or a navy soldier and has his girl’s name tattooed to honour her and never forget her, no matter how far away. I am quite a sensitive guy, but in my art I can play out a hard guy and ride a big motorcycle if I want.

Eytys Mother trainer by Simon Mullan is now available at Eytys website.