Human Hair Remnant + David Hammons

these portraits are a selection of my hairdressing work 

Using hair as a material for sculpture is relevant  to my practice as my history working with hair goes a long way back. I used to be a hairdresser, cutting, sculpting and creating 3d shapes meticulously. I have been waiting for 'hair' to emerge and merge within my approach to the making of art. This has finally happened ! 

these balls of hair are from my hairbrush - I see this as a work in progress forever . . . . 

hair + pins

Recently I found the plaits my Mother in law wore as a child in a box, amongst a family house clearance. I think this is when my thoughts gravitated back to the idea of using hair.


 Also Alice Anderson's works in both The Riflemaker www.riflemaker.org.uk and Freud's Museum www.freudmuseum.co.uk had a direct influence. Anderson's works were incredibly seductive materially -  tying up a whole building with red hair and allowing it to extrude seemingly from the walls and fireplaces within the buildings evoked thoughts and ideas which have stayed with me.

I recently went to the Hammer Museum, L.A.http://hammer.ucla.edu/ and discovered the 70's artist, David Hammons.  He worked with hair and this
is so similar to what I have been doing with my balls of rolled up hair from my brush. I bought the book called 'L.A. Object'
a brilliant resource related to this artist and the 70's black artists and the movement at this time.

Currently I am collecting hair from over 20 salons to enable me to construct a sculpture. It is an interesting exercise, asking people to keep something they normally throw away. Mostly the hairdressers have been reasonable and helpful. This is part of making conceptual art - you have to get 'game' and step outside the square at times to acquire the necessary materials.