‘The New Modern Hair’ exhibition, Los Angeles

Silvia Prada is cutting sharp shapes at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood with 'The New Modern Hair', her first solo exhibition in the United States. Presented by cultivators-of-cool cultureEDIT, the show explores the nuances of the male psyche through the illustrator's fetishistic examination of their coifs.
Prada's interest in male locks was first piqued while she was leafing through vintage hair magazines in her father's barbershop in the sleepy Spanish town of Ponferrada. This fueled a fascination with identity and iconography in media, which has served as a catalyst for her art practice - her monochromatic illustrations shaping popular culture while simultaneously critiquing it.
Now based in New York, she has used her recently published tome, 'The New Modern Hair: A Styling Chart' as a springboard for the exhibition, combing through male hairdos of the 1950's, 60's and the early 70's as inspiration for a series of graphite drawings and murals. Prada took cues from 20th century art movements like Bauhaus, De Stijl and Russian Constructivism, working geometric shapes alongside portraits of meticulously groomed men.
Speaking about the cultural significance of this show, curator and cultureEDIT-founder Joakim Andréasson said: 'Male beauty has over the last 30 years been completely redefined, and has deepened its relevance and aesthetic purpose. The confidence that comes with choice has created countless of iconic moments in popular culture.' Andréasson previously served as managing director at HL-ART/Helmut Lang Studio, mitigating the cult designer's transition from fashion to the art world and was similarly instrumental in facilitating Louise Bourgeois' retrospective of his work in our first ever guest editors issue (see W* 115).
Prada's illustrations are supplemented by contributions from friends and former collaborators, such as filmmaker Bruce LaBruce, photographer Collier Schorr and Warhol cohort Marc Balet, among others. Nary a hair out of place in this one-of-a-kind show.
'Alexander', by Silvia Prada, 2012
'Geometry', by Silvia Prada, 2012
Prada has juxtaposed small graphite drawings with large-scale murals in her tribute to vintage barbershop coifs
Several artists were invited to contribute artworks to supplement Prada's illustrations. Pictured is 'Aiden Shaw', by Daniel Riera, 2012 (detail)
'Jdsamsonjamiehincebreteastonellispeachesalisonmosshartkikismithcaseyspoonerlawrence- weinerbracepaineandreeputmanalkyzisbernhartwillhelm', by Robert Knoke, 2012
ADDRESS
Pacific Design Center
Blue Building, 2nd Floor, #B255
8687 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood CA 90069
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Paul McCartney’s backstage photographs of Beatlemania, formerly presumed lost, will go on show in London
The Gagosian exhibition ‘Rearview Mirror: Liverpool–London–Paris’ also offers the chance to acquire rare and signed photographs from McCartney’s archive
-
Orlando Museum of Art wants to showcase more Latin American and Hispanic artists. Do you fit the bill?
The Florida gallery calls for for Hispanic and Latin American artists to submit their work for an ongoing exhibition
-
This spa in the Riviera Maya stays open until midnight. Here’s what happens after dark
Rosewood Mayakoba’s Akbal Series proposes a new kind of night out
-
Orlando Museum of Art wants to showcase more Latin American and Hispanic artists. Do you fit the bill?
The Florida gallery calls for for Hispanic and Latin American artists to submit their work for an ongoing exhibition
-
The spread of Butter: the Black-owned art fair where artists see all the profits
The Indianapolis-based art fair is known for bringing Black art to the forefront. As it ventures out of state to make its Los Angeles debut, we speak with founders Mali and Alan Bacon to find out more
-
Steve Martin wants you to visit The Frick Collection
The actor has appeared in a video promoting New York’s newly renovated art museum
-
Architect Erin Besler is reframing the American tradition of barn raising
At Art Omi sculpture and architecture park, NY, Besler turns barn raising into an inclusive project that challenges conventional notions of architecture
-
The dynamic young gallerists reinvigorating America's art scene
'Hugging has replaced air kissing' in this new wave of galleries with craft and community at their core
-
Meet the New York-based artists destabilising the boundaries of society
A new show in London presents seven young New York-based artists who are pushing against the borders between refined aesthetics and primal materiality
-
Mystic, feminine and erotic: the power of Penny Slinger’s bodies as landscape
Artist Penny Slinger continues her exploration of the sacred, surreal feminine in a Santa Monica exhibition, ‘Meeting at the Horizon’
-
Photographer Geordie Wood takes a leap of faith with first film, Divers
Geordie Wood delved into the world of professional diving in Fort Lauderdale for his first film