The Newest Canvas

“For me, this is primarily a sketchbook of ideas, and the young models I worked with were willing to be the beginning part of that sketch. My imagination was fuelled by their hair. The impulse was to create characters in a purely instinctive way," Guido says.

This is a book of photographs, but Guido is keen to stress that this is not a photography book. Rather, the images are a direct presentation of the artist’s rendering and visual journey of the characters. His phone acts as an extension in granting him the ability to record the results in front of him. This shift away from photography brings the hair to the foreground 一 alluring the eyes of the public gaze towards the hair. Guido’s limitless ideas emanate from what stands before him.

office, sat down with the respected hairstylist to discuss the release of his new book, check it out below.

Congratulations on your book.

Oh, thank you. Yeah, it's funny when you do a project, like, when you get the idea and then when you're curating, it's the fun bit. This bit I find quite difficult once it's printed and then talking about it, it's a bit like, oh. Some people enjoy that part of it. Like, I've got the book signing tomorrow and I get very anxious about that kind of stuff.

Well, first and foremost, I have to ask, where are you right now and how is it there?

So I am out in the Hamptons. My boyfriend lives out here and when I'm not working I live out here. It's a lot quieter than being in the city, but I really enjoy being out here. We have really nice walks and the beaches are nearby and at the moment it's sunny and cool and when it's beautiful weather out here, it's so beautiful. I really am lucky to have this distraction from New York.

Amazing, I love that. What excites you the most about the unrefined beauty of different hairstyles at the moment?

I think what excites me is that, it seems to me that this is the most sort of open and I think especially young people, which I often talk about, because you kind of bring something change to the society we live in Germany. It's only people that can change, really. I always look at younger people for change and I feel young people are really pushing the boundaries with their identities and the way they visualize themselves. They have that confidence that other generations didn't have. So, I really enjoy seeing how young people present themselves and the outward confidence that they pervade to the main, which is really exciting. Also the way they kind of play with our identities, I think that's a really positive message out there.

Yeah, for sure. As mentioned earlier, you released your new book. Could you give me an overview about what people can expect to see in these pages?

When I worked on designs, shows, and other projects, you go and sort of see the designer, and they kind of explain the collection. Then you go normally to a space next door and create hairstyles and then show the designer and then you kind of go back and forward with it. Once you've done the hair and it's approved, I take a picture of it to show my team as an explanation of what we're going to be doing. So the picture idea of doing these hairstyles came from that. I had a library of these pictures on my IPhone, and then during COVID, when I wasn't working so much, I started to take more images that weren't sort of high-risk space and get some sort of models and street casting to come in and I would just sort of do hairstyles. It was always like a sketch book of ideas in a way that I captured on my iPhone, and this isn't a photography book. We all have a phone, we all capture everything nowadays on a phone.

This is me capturing my ideas and then Idea books came to me and said, they'd like to work on a project and create a book out of these images. So that's kind of how it came about. In the book you can expect to see lots of different characters, lots of hair styles, hair cuts, and hair dues. I think I purposely don't have any known models in the book and there's no connection to these people, so they could just be living in the way they look. I think as soon as you do a hairstyle and somebody that you know, or someone well known, you judge it more when you don't know the people so well. Then you look at the kind of face and the hair more separately. It's just my kind of fantasy put on to them in a way.

I love that. How did you conceptualize the look for each character or model in the book?

They would just come in and I would sit them down. The book is all profiles, so I would just turn their profiles, see which profile I liked best and then I would create on them. It’d be something sculptural, kind of like if someone is playing with clay or a different material. So my kind of my materialist, the hair, so then I construct shapes or did haircuts or use wigs or whatever I felt their faces were saying to me. I would just create around their face in a way. Some took only minutes and others would take longer, but I work very quickly. The creation of the hair is the fun bit for me in a way sort of like creating whatever shape.

You mentioned that you took all the photos by herself, which is amazing because from what I've seen, they've turned out really great. What did the curation process look like and did you snap it in a way that would lure the naked eye towards the hair?

Well, because there is nothing else in the image apart from a face and head, there's no makeup, there's no jewelry, there's no clothing. So your eye goes to the head and I think the idea of the photo taking was very much like we all have iPhones and we all take pictures of the things we like, so we all curate in a way. Whether you're into hair, flowers or food or even furniture. I think probably a lot of people have enough pictures on their phone to make some kind of book or some kind of fan zine if they so desire to. Before I did this published book, I sort of took some pictures or took some images I had and went to staples and made a sort of photocopied fanzine, which never came out.

It was just the idea that had the images and anyone can go to a staples and get something very rough made. This is not a rough book, but it's still meant to be like a scrapbook. So the idea of a collective scrap book is what I wanted. I think now this book wouldn't have come about without the iPhone and certainly wouldn't have come about without Instagram. The images first were sort of, some of them are on Instagram, the idea that I was putting content onto my page, and then that became a book. I'm not a photographer, but I do have an iPhone like everyone does. I sort of curated the book in a very simple way. So everything was profile and everything had the same kind of proportion to it. The only thing that kind of changed were the faces and the differences of hair shape. So it was an idea that I carried out a hundred times or something in the book, So then it becomes a curation.

What source of inspiration did you draw from when trying to capture the essence of each model?

I kind of take from everywhere. I think that one of my greatest assets is that my eyes were always open to visual things. To be honest, really just walking down any street at any time, any sort of walk past people that have hair and they wear their hair in the way they wear it. It’s inspiring to me when I walk through the streets of New York or Paris or London, or just out here or anywhere there's inspiration everywhere. You just take it, store it and then use it or mix it up at another time and then it comes out as a hairstyle. But I think obviously film and music and all those obvious things are always references. You know, my past growing up in London in the eighties and going to great clubs with great looking people that create houses embedded in my mind, but everything has a reference for me. So I couldn't really say exactly what the reference of each hair style is. It's just a combination of everything. I kind of wanted the hairstyles not to be too much like couture or fantastical. I wanted them to look almost quite normal hair styles that you might see on a young person in the streets today. I didn't want it to be a book of like, ‘look how good I am at hairdressing.’

Great to hear. Your brilliant work has been under the gaze of the public eye for quite some time now. Why did you decide to create this book?

Well, this isn't my first book. I have two other books. I did one in the nineties. I also did one with David Sims maybe six, seven years ago. I think it came out of covid really, I had a lot of time to think. I didn't really know what's going to happen with my work because all of our work stopped and as a creative person, my mind kept going. I suppose it was born out of having time to think and once the seed is planted, it starts to grow. Once I spoke to a publisher I was locked in but yeah, it was born out of having time during COVID. I love that.

What kind of reaction do you hope to elicit from the public?

I don't really know, to be honest. I suppose that's a nerve wracking thing when you do a project because when you're in the creative process it is kind of fun. Once it goes to print and you put it out then anyone can have their opinion about it. I'm not quite sure what I would think. I mean, I think you can tell people are very complimentary, but then they would be because they're sort of talking to me. The book itself reminds me of when I was growing up and worked in a sort of Salon in London, in the eighties, at the Salon it’d be full of hair, pictures on the walls in frames, and they're all just head shots. If you go to any Salon today there's still these kinds of hair pictures. The book is probably sort of embedded in my mind and it's almost like a book of hair ideas. I hope people enjoy it.

What can we see or expect to see from you in the nearby future?

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects that you might have? I love working in the studio still, I still really love after all these years, I've been doing the fashion shows. Every time I do a job, it's a challenge. I never kind of rest on what I've done because every day's a new day and it requires a different kind of strength – to work with lots of different creative people can be very challenging. So every day when I walk into any situation, I'm always kind of on my A game. I think I still want to try and do the best I can do. There are a couple of things in the pipeline, which I can't really talk about yet because they're not confirmed, but I think as long as I keep myself open to things, things will come in. One of my things in life is to always Things in life are to keep moving and to keep myself open to what comes.

Art

Pamela Sneed’s Speaking Tongue opens at Dashwood Projects

November 15, 2024

Pamela Sneed’s latest exhibition, Speaking Tongue, will be on view at Dashwood Projects from November 20 to December 21. The show features twenty watercolor and ink paintings inspired by her recent trip to Kenya, where she was deeply moved by the elegance of giraffes, the landscapes, and the energy of Nairobi.

Blending her background as a poet and visual artist, Sneed’s work reflects on themes of identity, nature, and connection. Her paintings capture the beauty and spirit of the animals she encountered, alongside reflections on her own experiences as part of the African diaspora.

This exhibition marks Sneed’s first solo show with Dashwood Projects and will be accompanied by a new book, also titled Speaking Tongue, to be released in December.

By Enzo Holdt
Artworks by Pamela Sneed

Art

Tiebreaker - Alvin Armstrong

November 15, 2024

There is a moment of silence right before the play. Just before the racket strikes the ball as it hangs weightless in the air, breathless and charged. It’s the fleeting yet decisive instant that can alter the course of the match, determining who wins and who loses.

Alvin Armstrong depicts this crucial moment in his new exhibition Tiebreaker, symbolizing the risks and rewards of competition. It’s an implication of something else at stake, where athletes push not only their bodies, but their spirits to the absolute limit.

The dynamic figures embody the strength, grace, and agility juxtaposed by the vibrant color palette evoking not just the joy of competition but the charged energy of the court.

Tiebreaker is opening Thursday, November 16th at Anna Zorina Gallery.

By Rea Brayshaw
Artworks by Alvin Armstrong

Art

The Things People Are Ashamed To Take Photos Of: The Photography and Films of Yuhan Cheng

Yuhan’s latest exhibition of photo and video work titled 窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里 takes its namesake from what could’ve been a mundane encounter. A month after moving to New York City from Chengdu, China, they stumbled across an abandoned fish tank left curbside. It reminded them of “the rotating fish in a tank that faded into the background of their mother’s home in Chengdu”, a thread connecting childhood familiarity that transformed into a symbol of greater significance in adulthood. A tank is a world within a world; a microcosm secluded from the broader chaos of the outside. Since then Yuhan has captured the other kinds of “fish tanks” closest to them in their photography and short films. Not literal ones necessarily– but intimate confined spaces in Chengdu and NYC where time stands still.

In the midst of taking snapshots of loved ones, Yuhan decided to turn their tender but examining lens on themselves. They realized shooting self-portraits unraveled a deeper understanding of their own nonbinary gender and queer sexuality. Yuhan admits in one of their short films “I hide from looking at my own body.” Yet, in the seclusion of their room which doubles as a dark room, Yuhan began to develop their first nude photos chronicling the subtle wounds; bitten cuticles, bruises, and scrapes they’ve accumulated involuntarily, once again documenting the things people choose to hide.

窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里, debuted at FAR-NEAR Studio Hours a gallery in Chinatown focused on expanding the art world's view of Asia and Asian artists curated by Lulu Yao Gioiello. The event merged Yuhan’s works from the past three years, including 70 photographs, three short documentaries, and one installation. There was something uncanny about the gallery’s atmosphere – from the dollar store teal green curtains obscuring every window to the clusters of framed photos mimicking how photos of relatives are displayed in one’s childhood home, to the darkened lighting that was both disorienting and cozy. All these details were meticulously chosen to imitate the rooms depicted in Yuhan’s films and photography. In other words, the audience was invited to Yuhan’s “fishtank”, to share the odd balance of comfort and unease of being known intimately. We talked to Yuhan at Cafe Reggio to understand how their latest body of work came into being.

Initially, I was exploring my friends’ identities through the lens, but slowly, it became a tool to confront and understand my own queerness and gender identity.

Ora Margolis— Were any memories/childhood experiences you had in Chengdu important to how you've developed as an artist?

Yuhan Cheng— Growing up in Chengdu, especially in a military household, shaped and gave me a source of contention how I understood my identity. There was always a sense of conflict when it came to my body and feeling like I didn’t quite fit the expectations around me. This tension has been a driving force in my practice, pushing me to explore identity and belonging in my work.

Tell us a bit about your latest exhibition Outside the Window, Inside the Tank at Far. What headspace were you in when taking these photos?

YC— Outside the Window, Inside the Tank is about the fluidity of self; our bodies, our environments, and our identities. The idea of water as both a symbol of confinement and freedom is central to the photos and film that comprise the exhibit. This fluidity much like how I see my experience moving between Chengdu and New York, where similar feelings follow me no matter where I am. Water mirrors the body, the frame, and the room, which are all containers of the self.

Previously, you’ve said you wanted the exhibition space to look "like your room". How did you make that happen and why is your NYC room important to you?

YC— My room in NYC is an extension of my identity. It’s where I feel vulnerable and where I explore myself most openly. It’s a manifestation of my sense of self. I recreated certain elements in the exhibition—the green sheer curtains, the dollar store shower curtain with bubbles, and the center installation depicted a self-portrait deteriorating in water, reminiscent of a fish in a tank. This room, like any other room or container, magnifies the tension of self-exploration.

Has your idea or comfort with your gender identity and /sexuality changed since you’ve delved into photography?

YC— Yes. The process of photography and filming has been a mirror to my own understanding of self. Initially, I was exploring my friends’ identities through the lens, but slowly, it became a tool to confront and understand my own queerness and gender identity. The process of photographing my queer friends and then myself allowed me to come to terms with who I am.

How did you and Lulu Yao of FAR-NEAR Studio meet, and what makes her a good collaborator?

YC— We first connected when I reached out with my series Princess of Funan River. Lulu understood the struggles and complexities in the work and she invited me to expand on those ideas with her. Our collaboration has worked because Lulu truly resonates with the themes I’m drawn to, like fluidity, transformation, and the intimacy of navigating belonging.

After completing Fish Tank and Remnants of an Amateur Film, what kind of movie do you want to make next?

YC— Right now, I’m more focused on writing. I need to understand what I want to say before making another film. Writing helps me find clarity;it’s a crucial part of my process.

What kind of camera do you use and why?

YC— I use a Canon AE-1. I started with it and I still love it. It's small, spontaneous, easy to use, and light. It allows me to capture moments naturally without overthinking.

What's your biggest fear?

YC— Being disconnected from my sense of self, from others, and from the things I love.

When do you feel most like yourself?

YC— It’s during those fleeting moments when I complete a project. That feeling fades quickly, leaving me searching for the next project to reconnect with that sense of fulfillment.

How do you want people to feel when they interact with your art?

YC— I want them to feel whatever resonates with them. I don’t want to prescribe the experience; it should feel right for each person.

Your work focuses on the close knit communities that surround you or various metaphorical “fish tanks”. What communities do you feel closest to?
YC— The queer artist community, both in Chengdu and NYC, has been a source of comfort and understanding for me. There’s something about shared struggles and shared creative language that feels like home.

What's the biggest difference between living life as a queer artist in NYC and in Chengdu?

YC— In both NYC and Chengdu, I’m learning more about myself. NYC offers a sense of freedom, while Chengdu is home, a place of comfort and history. Neither place defines me but both are significant parts of my path.

What are your next moves/goals?

YC— I want to continue exploring both film and photography, expanding my narrative style and experimenting across mediums. During my show, I found new ways of seeing my photographs such as by adding a window screen between frames or letting a self-portrait fade and grow mold in water. These approaches allowed me to see my work not just as 2D images but as 3D objects.

I want to keep pushing the boundaries of how photo and film can interact, and I’m also interested in trying photojournalism. My focus remains on collaborating across mediums and continuing to accumulate experiences that I can translate into sincere honest work.