By Stacy Anderson
NYT Institute

Women of all complexions and ages align the sitting area on a busy Saturday at Premiere Hair and Nail Salon, awaiting their turn in the raised chair. Stylists shuffle from the sinks to their personal stations, trying to cater to their client’s needs. Tucked in the back of the salon, stands co-owner Michelle Jones, quietly circling her client. She clips each section of hair with precision and ignores the rapidly spinning world around her.

“To me, it’s an art,” Jones said. “There’s a technique. You give your mark or signature. I may cut for an hour to perfect that.”

Jones’ efforts represent the often overlooked aspect of being a stylist: Hair design is an art form, one that has evolved over the years and provided expression for many.

Kim Curry-Evans, curator of “HairStories” at the Contemporary Art Center in New Orleans, agrees.

“Black hair is often befooned,” said Curry-Evans. “It’s not just a fashion statement. It provides a lot of historical commentation.”

She added that the cultural significance of hair has been evident since slavery and even before in Africa when representing tribal status. Curry-Evans also acknowledged that the subject of black hair is prevalent in all types of art, including music and poetry.

The art exhibit “HairStories” examines the essence of black hair in four themes: individual expression; barbershops and beauty salons serving as a meeting place; the social and political symbolism; and good hair versus bad hair.

Mona Simon, who has been a hair stylist for 23 years, said hair trends and personal expressions have evolved over the years. “When I first started, Jheri curls were real popular,” she said with a laugh, as she applied a chemical relaxer to a client’s scalp.

“Black hair is unique,” Simon said. “We can do a lot because of the texture-- straightening, different cuts, braids. There’s so much versatility to it.”

Simon’s clientele includes all age ranges, but Simon said the majority are in their ’40s and ’50s, who are “mostly professional, conservative women.”

Simon, who now works out of her home, said recent hairstyle trends promote care for healthy hair over a fashion statement. Most of her clients prefer soft hairstyles, which include using relaxers, flat irons, and roller sets. “People are conditioning and are not putting on as much heat,” Simon said.

However, Jones said many of her clients prefer the natural trend. “It’s convenient, looks better, looks healthier, and lasts longer.”

Jones said when she first started doing hair almost 10 years ago, people had extravagant hairstyles that were almost ridiculous. “You would see three hairstyles on one head,” she said. “Finger waves in the front, spiral curls and a twist in the back,” she joked.

Hard hairstyles, which require excessive use of hair spray, mouse, and gel, were made popular during the early 1990s. They include coifs such as finger waves and French rolls.

Simon, who is originally from San Diego, said the weather plays a major part in how black women wear their hair. For many black women in New Orleans, pressing their hair straight using heated combs is not popular because of the humid weather.

Not only is the beauty salon a place to change one’s look, it is also a haven for gossip and community current events. “It’s the starting point for dialogue,” said Curry-Evans.

Simon said meeting at the hair salon gives people a chance to socialize. “You find out what’s going on in the news, in the city, in the schools,” Simon said. “It brings people together. Clients talk about family and children.”

Along with socializing, stylists provide a listening ear to the worries, triumphs and day-to-day happenings of their clients.

“Girl, we’re like psychiatrists,” Jones said. “We help solve the problem …When you do their hair for long enough, you can just see when they have issues, and it’s the same with me.”

Alexis Hamilton has been a client of Simon for three years. “Some people use their hairstylists as a therapist,” said Hamilton, who is a sophomore at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She said she usually comes to Simon’s salon once a month. Simon has helped her with everything from family issues to relationships.

Stylists have said the several pitfalls of working at a beauty salon or barbershop, including inconsistent income and long grueling hours, are often overlooked and disregarded.

Simon said she works Wednesday through Saturday, averaging about 10 clients a day, sometimes standing up to 13 hours per day.

“People think it’s glamorous because you’re beautifying people,” said Simon. “It’s very physical and hard on the body.”

The highs and lows of attaining wealth in the business are a major concern for some hair care professionals. An African woman who goes by the name Alhaja and works at Afro Touch salon in New Orleans, has braided hair for five years. She said that the braiding salon typically does well during the spring and summer, especially when students are returning back to school. In the off-season, when there aren’t as many customers, she said she hopes that she can make ends meet. “I pray that He just gives me my daily bread.”

Jones, of Premiere salon, said she might have 10 to 15 clients on a slow day. On Saturday, her busiest day, she may have 25 to 30 clients. Jones said the off-season falls right after Christmas and continues into February. She added that many of her clients are education professionals. When school is out, many get their hair styled in braids or come less often since they don’t have as many public events to attend. Walk-ins or clients who haven’t visited regularly help keep the shop busy since it is the only salon in the Bullard Avenue shopping area.

Hair salons and barbershops also promote the spirit of entrepreneurship. “I wanted my own business and incorporated it at home,” Simon said. “It’s more private and less expensive without all the overhead.” She added that she enjoys being her own boss, meeting a lot of people, working with the public and “the money is good.”

Jones also enjoys being a co-owner at Premiere. “It’s the best job I ever had,” Jones said, who worked in the retail industry for 15 years. “I work my schedule around my life.”

The experience with retail has influenced her customer service skills. “You really have to listen to what your customer wants,” the Mississippi native said. “You have to be on the same page,” she said. Her grandmother, also a hairstylist, once did press and curls for $2.50, so many of Jones’ relatives were skeptical about her career choice.

“They said, ‘How you gonna make any money,’ ” she mimicked. She followed her passion and said she now has over 200 clients.

Curry-Evans said black hair can be an expression of cultural and political symbolism, and it can affect how the world perceives black images and how blacks perceive themselves. Stereotypes are also part of those elements.

“It is very much about identity,” she said. One section of the exhibit that encompasses what black hair represents for society includes photos of Angela Davis’ bold Afro, Bob Marley’s dreadlocks swaying on a concert stage and Nat King Cole’s cool swagger in pressed waves.

A painting by Beverly McIver titled “Transformation” includes a client sitting in the styling chair with blackface. This art poses the question of whether Blacks are trying to change their appearance to assimilate and fit the stereotypes imposed upon them or simply relaying their sense of style.

The influence of black hairstyles has expanded through pop culture. “HairStories” credits Cicely Tyson with introducing cornrows to the public in CBS’s 1963 series “East Side/West Side.” Another piece of artwork that explores black hairstyle trends in the media is “Closely Guarded” by Kori Newkirk. It portrays basketball goals made of braids and beads. The caption explains that celebrity athletes’ style, such as Allen Iverson’s intricate cornrows and Kobe Bryant’s mini-Afro or close cut, influence pop culture.

Other popular pieces include “Self-Portrait #1” by Nadine Robinson. The art piece is a canvascompletely covered with Chinese human hair extensions that the artist wore over a four year period. “It is a testament to the time and money we put in hair,” said Curry-Evans. She said it also recognizes the “need and desire” to acquire hair from others.

“HairStories” also explores the ongoing debate of “good hair” versus “bad hair.” In the black community, this can be a touchy subject because of its history. Hair described as course, kinky or tightly-curled can be considered “bad” by some, while straight, fine-textured hair could be labeled as “good.”

Evans-Curry said the issue is very personal for her. She recalled the pain of burns when her mother pressed her hair straight as a child. She eventually cut her hair into a cropped Afro and has worn it that way for the past decade. “There’s a difference in how people approach you,” Curry-Evans said. “There is a dynamic of treatment in the hairstyle.”

In reference to “good” or “bad” hair, Clavon Crutchfield, a barber at Palm’s Barbershop and Carwash said he doesn’t believe in judging hair quality by those standards. But he did explain that there are different cutting techniques for different types of hair.

“If you can make coarse hair look good, then you did something right,” he said.

Crutchfield went on to explain several artistic elements of being a barber. “If you can draw, you’ll possibly be good at it,” he said. “It’s an art. Some know how to cut, but can’t create. You have to fit the contour of the body and face. Everybody can’t take the same cut.”

“Conspicuous Fraud Series #2 (The Committee)” is a painting by Kehinde Wiley featuring young men with unkempt hair sporting bulky down coats. The painting alludes to the negative stereotypes and low-ranking social status equated to black men.

The exhibit also showcases several artifacts significant to the image of blacks including displays of Totally Hair Barbie, old school hot combs, and fist Afro pick.

The exhibition of “HairStories” was inspired and compiled in 2000 after a dance performance of the same name by the Urban Bush Woman, a New York dance troupe. It includes over 60 pieces of artwork from 27 artists from across the country.

The exhibit was first displayed at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in Scottsdale, Ariz., running from October 2003 to January 2004. It will remain at the Center for Contemporary Art in New Orleans until June 19, before its final stop at Forty Acres Art Gallery in Sacramento from July 15 to September 5.

Curry-Evans said the exhibit “takes a great look at blacks’ impact on culture,” but is not only limited to the appreciation of black people. “It's a topic very familiar to everyone. Everyone in the community can come and share their stories.”