What to Do This Weekend: Take a Trip to Harlem for a Fresh Perspective On Beauty
Neon Fix
Hank Willis Thomas, Who Can Say No to a Gorgeous Brunette?
Photo: Courtesy of The Studio Museum Many of the best beauty statements from the Fall 2015 runways, like the gold-leaf masks at Rick Owens, the bright, brushstroked lids at Céline, and the face sketches atJacquemus, served as striking examples of what happens when art and beauty collide. Those dramatic looks made us think beyond the usual how-tos and left us wanting more.
J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Ogun Pari
Photo: Courtesy of The Studio Museum
Almost as if on cue, The Studio Museum in Harlem is stepping in to fill the void with Salon Style, a new exhibit showcasing artists that use hair and nails to explore issues such as gender, politics, and beauty standards. “Hair and nails can be markers of our identities. They are readily apparent to the world, but also intrinsic to the way we understand and express ourselves,” says Hallie Ringle, the museum’s senior curatorial assistant. Ringle spent five months selecting items forSalon Style, most of which come from the museum’s permanent collection of nearly 2,000 works. She sought out artists who were using hair and nails as a medium or a subject in unexpected ways. The title has a double meaning—it’s a nod to beauty shop creations and the traditional art term for numerous artworks presented in a small space.
Kevin Beasley, Untitled (FootNeck)
Photo: Courtesy of The Studio Museum
The exhibit is housed in the second-floor gallery of the museum. It’s a quiet, intimate setting for visitors to take in the thought-provoking pieces. The standouts include Kevin Beasley’s Untitled (FootNeck), a T-shirt-covered foam ball decorated with duckbill clips meant to reference the confidence of rocking unfinished hair in public. There’s also Ogun Pari, a black-and-white photograph of an African woman’s sculptural hairstyle by J.D. Okhai Ojeikere, and Flo Jo World Record Nails by Pamela Council. The artist—inspired by Olympian Florence Griffith Joyner’s signature mani—created a model of a 200-meter running course out of more than 2,000 colorful acrylic nails.
Pamela Council, Flo Jo World Record Nails
Photo: Courtesy of The Studio Museum
Salon Style is a small yet powerful show that Ringle hopes sparks conversation. “I’d like viewers to walk away with a deeper understanding of beauty—that it’s not superficial but fundamental to cultures all over the world,” she says.
Salon Style is on view until June 28 at The Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 West 125th St., NYC.