From 5 December 2015 to 16 January 2016, the exhibition “A Hair Breadth From Usability” presents an ensemble of sculptures and drawings by Isabelle Plat originating from hair collected from hairdressing salons.
A treasure of our genetic heritage, for her this material is an “object of belonging”, even closer to people than their clothes, which she equally integrates into her works. The aesthetic shock generated by the work of Isabelle Plat aims to awaken our perceptions of the consequences of individual gestures. In effect, if contemporary society claims to aspire to live in harmony with nature, this relation seems founded on distances and controlled interactions.
The title of the exhibition, A Hair Breadth From Usability makes reference to “usable sculpture” a concept developed by the artist many years ago. Beyond their visual dimension, its sculptures offer a second level of interpretation, their usability.
This usability disrupts the perception of the work, engaging the viewer in a gesture that awakens them to themselves. The use of human hair for the creation of these works adds an extra dimension: use of a living material still harbouring an individual’s DNA.
In this vein, the sculpture Brain Carpet of Parisian Hair represents a human organ, created from recycled material. The creative technique brought out in the work by the artist invites the viewer to walk on this symbol of the individual’s thoughts, as if in confrontation with their own grey matter.
With human hair I’m using living material, to try to understand the relationship we maintain with our environment, including other humans and the planet itself.
Isabelle Plat
MORE INFORMATIONS:
// Isabelle Plat
// Read monography A un cheveu de l’usage, Isabelle Plat, GEM, 2015
// A un cheveu de l’usage (05/12/2015-16/01/2016 | Paris)
Exhibitions