Digital prints from video stills and 35mm neg. 2001-02: 25 X 10cm
This series was a deliberate departure from the medical and stark monochrome work I had developed. It was another form of exploration of the body and the boundaries of private and public. However this work was based on exploring the Male only domain of the Barber Shop. Spaces that are significant culturally in representing migrant influence within Australia, often prolific within inner urban enclaves. However this domain is shifting through changes in real estate prices and shifting clientele. I photographed and videoed my partner being shaved at 5 or 6 different Barber Shops. Initially I was interested in the sensual imagery of his face and neck but in the process of creating the work I realised the homo-erotic nature of the act and the sinister sense of trust/surrender implicit in the cut throat.
Drawing on the filmic traditions inherent around this subject, I utilised the video stills to impart colours of cheap pornography and western flicks. The images where displayed in sets, broken into rhythms which created a sense of storyline and intense moments in time.
