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On display until October 2024, at Heide Museum of Modern Art, Hair Pieces is a thought-provoking exhibition that explores our complex relationship with hair through an extraordinary collection of works by Australian and international artists .
Entangled narratives
With works spanning five decades by 38 artists, including Marina Abramovic, Ai Yamaguchi, Lou Hubbard and Edith Dekyndt, Hair Pieces explores the evocative and complex significance of hair in contemporary culture, and our ever-changing relationship to it.
As it has done for centuries, hair continues to be a powerful purveyor of meaning, communicating ideas about gender, mythology, status, power, the body, psychology, feminism and notions of beauty. Yet within these parameters, what that meaning is can vary widely from culture to culture, and era to era.
Both radiant and repellent, and often richly symbolic, hair has always held particular importance in relation to the expression of self, identity and wider society. It can say so much about a place in time, and how we see ourselves. Its integral role in the world of appearances provokes powerfully visceral conscious and unconscious responses, both positive and negative, as you'll discover as you make your way through this deeply compelling exhibition.
From transformative to fantasy
Through a wide range of media, including painting, photography, video, installation, sculpture and live performance, this exhibition examines the many ways artists use hair to investigate and conjure generative and even magical possibilities that encompass growth, empowerment and transformation.
As summed-up by Senior Curator, Melissa Keys, "From expressions of resistance and self-determination to associations with unbound freedom, fairy tale and the fantastical... hair often refuses to be tamed".
Working alongside the exhibition curator, Taubmans provided the sumptuous paints for the walls of this fascinating exhibition. The shades evoke the warmth of the body and sharply complement the artists' responses to the subject, while providing a complementary ambience that draws the visitor into the works.
Recently Rouge
The welcoming warmth and softness of this beautiful pink allows the monochrome nature of these works to stand out, without a harsh contrast.
Pink Sangria
Moving to a lighter, peachier pink, this shade works well with the introduction of the richer brown tones of the artwork Hanahiru (Sneeze) 2012 by Ai Yamaguchi
Fresh Salmon
Warm, red-tone orange is the perfect backdrop providing vibrancy and drawing the eye to the strong visuals and complementary colours of the art works by Helen Wright and Polly Borland.
Angel Apricot
This deeper orange derived from nature works well to match the energy of Bidjara/Chinese-Australian artist Christian Thompson’s artwork Heat (2010) and the woodland scene outside the gallery window.
Somber Grey
Selected to represent the coolness of institutional spaces Somber Grey provides a dark dramatic effect and brings a sense of stillness to the space . The grey heightens the intensity of the colours in the moving image work Magna Mater, by Wiradjuri artist S.J Norman.
Grey Stone
This sophisticated, modern paint colour offers a sense of calm and simplicity that allows the viewer to concentrate on the intricacies of the artworks by C.J. Pyle.
Cradle White
The ultimate neutral that perfectly complements the powerfully darker tones found in these artworks by Helen Wright, Hayley Miller Baker and Sadie Chandler.
Hair Pieces at Heide Museum
Hair Pieces at Heide Museum opened May 4 and will run until October 6, 2024. The Taubmans paints selected for the exhibition walls feature colours that range from neon brights to muted neutrals – but what ties them together are their uncompromising ability to bring out each artist’s vision. Don’t miss this powerful exhibition.
