(Sorry the pictures are out of order - if anyone knows how to change them, let me know. Thanks)
Amy-Beth Maran
November 6, 2008
Susan York
Site as Person: Hair as statement
The idea of a person being a "site" for an installation made me question what installation art was. After thinking for some time, I thought of several examples of how a person could be a site. The book, Installation Art in the New Millennium calls this a "non space" (107).For my project my roommate, Dara, graciously offered herself as my "space." We were both interested in the idea of what social reactions hair has on people. I was interested in the idea that I could "install" my project, but she would be a travelling installation without me. Hair art is becoming a real form of art, with contests such as Shops and Salons styling teams show in Dallas Texas. (http://www.shopsandsalons.com/hairshow.htm)
With a bleach kit, neon pink and neon blue hair dye I set out to in essence, tie dye Dara's hair. I used rubber bands and wrote out a set of directions for when to add which color at which time. Using hair and dye as my materials was new to me and I was excited to view the process as art. I saw bleaching her hair as gessoing her head like a canvas. Adding the rubber bands at particular times was similar to the reduction process in a printmaking wood cutting. Adding the hair dye was like painting - but it was painting a paint brush!
There were many obstacles for using a new material for the first time. Not only was I experimenting and therefore, expecting some type of failure (I don't view failure as negative, but part of the process). I had my roommate and her opinions and emotions to take into consideration. After the first round of tie dying her hair was pale pastels all around, but the tie dye effect was apparent. Dara was unhappy with not having the colors bright enough, and her opinion was important to me. I added more color in chunks and left it in for longer. The result is a blend of pale tie dye around the middle of her hair and bright pink around her crown and blue around the tips.
I had first had the intention to do this dye job earlier and then take her to several places (bank, restaurants, malls etc..) and catch people's reactions. I felt that having the class see the "site" new, before it fades was more important. As reactions come in, I will note them.
Works Cited
De Oliveira, Nicolas. Installation Art in the New Millennium : The Empire of the Senses. London: Thames & Hudson, 2004.
Mac, Ronnie. "S & S Shops and Salons." World's Largest Hair Art and Fashion Show. 2008. Shops and Salons. 6 Nov. 2008.
November 6, 2008
Susan York
Site as Person: Hair as statement
The idea of a person being a "site" for an installation made me question what installation art was. After thinking for some time, I thought of several examples of how a person could be a site. The book, Installation Art in the New Millennium calls this a "non space" (107).For my project my roommate, Dara, graciously offered herself as my "space." We were both interested in the idea of what social reactions hair has on people. I was interested in the idea that I could "install" my project, but she would be a travelling installation without me. Hair art is becoming a real form of art, with contests such as Shops and Salons styling teams show in Dallas Texas. (http://www.shopsandsalons.com/hairshow.htm)
With a bleach kit, neon pink and neon blue hair dye I set out to in essence, tie dye Dara's hair. I used rubber bands and wrote out a set of directions for when to add which color at which time. Using hair and dye as my materials was new to me and I was excited to view the process as art. I saw bleaching her hair as gessoing her head like a canvas. Adding the rubber bands at particular times was similar to the reduction process in a printmaking wood cutting. Adding the hair dye was like painting - but it was painting a paint brush!
There were many obstacles for using a new material for the first time. Not only was I experimenting and therefore, expecting some type of failure (I don't view failure as negative, but part of the process). I had my roommate and her opinions and emotions to take into consideration. After the first round of tie dying her hair was pale pastels all around, but the tie dye effect was apparent. Dara was unhappy with not having the colors bright enough, and her opinion was important to me. I added more color in chunks and left it in for longer. The result is a blend of pale tie dye around the middle of her hair and bright pink around her crown and blue around the tips.
I had first had the intention to do this dye job earlier and then take her to several places (bank, restaurants, malls etc..) and catch people's reactions. I felt that having the class see the "site" new, before it fades was more important. As reactions come in, I will note them.
Works Cited
De Oliveira, Nicolas. Installation Art in the New Millennium : The Empire of the Senses. London: Thames & Hudson, 2004.
Mac, Ronnie. "S & S Shops and Salons." World's Largest Hair Art and Fashion Show. 2008. Shops and Salons. 6 Nov. 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment