Hair 1990

Editor: So, this is Kiki Smith's "Hair" at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a large-format print, almost abstract, but then you see the subtle face. What do you see in the artist’s choice of the printmaking process here? Curator: Well, the materiality is key. The printmaking process, with its layers and repetitions, mirrors the repetitive act of creating and caring for hair. It reflects the labor, both physical and emotional, that women traditionally invest in their appearance. Editor: That’s fascinating! It shifts my perspective on the image. Curator: The choice of a seemingly mundane subject like hair is also critical. Smith elevates it, questioning the conventional hierarchy that separates craft from fine art by emphasizing the social construction of feminine beauty. Editor: That makes me think about the cultural expectations projected onto women and their hair. Curator: Precisely. It really makes you consider how material culture shapes identity.