Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Hair and War


Oh my, has winter gone on so long that we are reduced to cutting each other's hair off? It would seem so.

Yesterday, Lucy asked me to cut her hair in a style that she has had on several occasions. It is very easy: put hair in pony tail, cut pony tail off. On Lucy, this results in an extremely stylish look the requires only minimal trimming to finish it off.

Then, she said, "Mom, I could cut your hair...." I had been thinking about it...and since we were just hanging around inside...

Several moments later, I was calling Jannen in Cox's Cove to make an appointment for repair work. Her first opening isn't until Thursday at 3 p.m. Until then, I am exploring my collection of hats and decorative scarves.


Here is a last picture, pre-haircut, of me at The Rooms at Barb Hunt's exhibition, Toll. I am in the section devoted to her piece, antipersonnel. It consists of a series of handknit replicas of landmines made in pink yarn. I am knitting in solidarity with Barb, although I am knitting on my ugly socks, not a landmine replica.

On a more serious note, the exhibition was very, very moving. I had seen most of the work in Barb's studio at one point or another but it didn't prepare me for how it worked when presented in the galleries of The Rooms. Barb is unapologetically a pacifist and her work is all about the tragic loss and waste of war. This makes it sound kind of awful - possibly dogmatic and preachy - but it isn't like that at all. It is full of empathy for the soldiers and it is poetic and beautiful. I was so happy to imagine people visiting the show and, for a moment, being asked to consider the world through Barb's eyes.

We were technically not allowed to take photographs in the galleries, so I can't show you more of the exhibition, but look at her website if you want to see more of Barb's work.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I gave myself the same hair cut (ponytail cut off) back in December.
It was too short but everyone who has seen me with my new short hair comments on how great i look.

Its better now (an inch or more longer) and i will continue to let it grow longer still. But i suspect I won't let it grow and grow and get as long as it was.

I saw (on your face book page) a picture of you with short hair--and i think you looked great in it. (but then your hair was darker then, too.) maybe a henna treatment, too?

Newfoundland Fibre Artist said...

You are very brave!!! :-)

Taos Sunflower said...

Do you donate your hair? I've saved a big chunk of mine (Michelle whacked off about 3' of it last spring) but I don't know who wants gray hair! LOL

Robyn said...

Martie, yes! I did donate it! Apparently Locks of Love will accept grey hair. They don't make wigs out of it but they do sell it and use the funds for their work. It seemed better than throwing it away! Three feet - my goodness!