Hair final

Hairpiece, 2016; human and artificial hair on cotton, 30 in. x 30 in.

I wanted to create a piece that addressed how we control hair as a way to control bodies. The circle delineates a sense of control, of restraint. By packing hair into a perfect circle and containing that circle within a perfect square, the hair is doubly constrained.This part of the body that is unruly by nature is daily subjected to various tensions: brushing, tweezing, plucking, shaving, trimming, straightening, relaxing, curling, dying, twisting, bleaching, combing, etc. We attempt to wrangle this extension of our body on a daily basis. It is part of our identity, it is politicized, contested, judged; it is a social, economic, even religious indicator. This level of control becomes problematic when it is imposed on others.

If I explore hair as a medium further I want to look at religious restrictions/rules/regulations on hair and their implications.