Samples 1/26/08

Collected a few more samples and started to think about animal hair and then feathers as bird hair. Scanning some samples closer and larger in order to magnify and find visual similarities or differences. Just went and got a haircut- man was that overdue. Was talking to my hairdresser about this project and she divulged a fun fact about hair-hair that is straight has a rounded shaft - and hair that is curly has a flatter shaft.Like a ribbon when you slide it throught the scissors to make it spiral. Also learned from my dad who reads perpetually that some experts say( from the book Blace Rice) that it was black women who brought rice to america in the braids of their hair.

Two Accumulation Artist

The two artist that i found most intrigueing were Jill Greenberg and Paul Bauman. Jill because she found the response to her request for soap to be part of the process of art. In such a hectic time we live in that people would take the time to donate something that would seem insignificant to an artist cause is refreshing. Paul Baumans collection of yelow things is interesting to me because he investigates to similarities and differences of these objects and celebrates both.Greenberg and Bauman arrange their objects in an aesthetic way to express what the objects have conveyed to them, the project becomes about much more than just collecting things.

First Few Samples

A Collection Of Hair

I begin this with an admission. I have extremely curly and unruly hair. When i was a teenager I hated my hair, i always wanted long poker staright black hair like the asian girls i knew. Their hair seemed so magical the way it shone and glistened and flowed around them. Alas! mine was wild and thick and never cooperated. Before conditioner brushing was extremely painful.
When i decided to collect hair i did a little research into the symbolism that existed. A great book on symbols revealed some curious info.
In some Oriental religions specifically Tantra it was proclaimed that "the binding or unbinding of women's hair could control cosmic powers of creation and destruction". The goddess Isis gave birth to Osiris-Horus by "shaking out her hair over him". Shiva and Apollo-Hercules at times had long thick hair representing" virility and vital power". Judeo- Christian patriarchhy was quite "hostil" toward hair due to it's pagan sexual connotaions. Monks shaving their heads was sometimes a symbol for castration or circumsion. Some Medieval churches required women to wear head coverings to church and made nuns shave their heads for the same reason. I am not sure what the head cover in the Muslim tradtion represents but i will do some checking.
This was enought to peak my complete interest in this collection project. I will collect various samples and scan them.