I think the story or argument of your image object is:
High heels = pain
If the images have been manipulated, how does that add to or detract from the source material?
It doesn't look like the images (painted shoes) were manipulated in any way. the only manipulation i see is the collaboration of the images layered as well as the text "Pain"
I think the intended audience is:
Women that are not a fan of high heel shoes.
I think the portfolio theme is:
Women believe that high heels are painful to wear.
Is the aesthetic of the piece successful? Why or why not?
I think it is successful because of the red "blood" like splatter in the background and the red text "Pain" that is driping down make the viewer feel like high heels can be harmful/deadly to those who wear them.
In what ways is the image object successful or needing improvement in the use of: color or shading, composition, relationship between images (or images and other material), use of focus, or any medium-specific signifiers?
I liked the color rang but I am not sure why the high heels have a painted look to them. The shading of the shoes make them look real, but the relationship between the shoes and the blood splatter background don't seem correlate as whole image. Rather the shoes are just layered on top of the blood splatter background. I would like to know why paint was the chosen medium and how the shoes were digitally manipulated (besides the fact they they were attached to the background).
Is the attribution of any borrowed material clear? How can it be improved?
The idea, high heels are painful is a common topic in woman's fashion. The composition of the images makes a unique piece.
Additional comments on this object or suggestions for the portfolio:
I love the paintings.. they are very good. But I'll have to disagree with your message. I love wearing high heels and I think if you find the write pair they wont be painful to wear. :)