Printmaking & Contemporary Practice

Rebecca McDermott

UNTANGLE

Hair is a substance that evokes intimacy and familiarity, while at the same time having the power to repulse us. With reference to the abject, the repulsion which we may feel is not prompted by a fear of uncleanliness, but rather from the unsettling of boundaries, resulting in the threat to identity and the loss of a unified self.

My practice explores hair as an entity linked to femininity and identity. It investigates our relationship with this abject substance and the rituals we undergo to maintain an integrated self in our society. I have always been interested in how women adorn themselves. We associate hair with beauty; it signifies a women’s crowning glory, but once it becomes disentangled from our body we have this instant repulsion towards it. It interests me how we can be both compelled and repelled by the same substance.

My creative process is one that parallels that of my subject. The use of hair as a medium in my practice, allows my work to gain a sense of depth that goes beyond most static images. The repetitiveness of my process reflects that of the monotonous rituals the female body endures. I take a sensitive, instinctive and delicate approach when making my work, supporting the feminine quality of my practice.

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