Based on the article, Waitress Anthropologist: Candacy Taylor Goes Beyond 'the Counter', by Ted Quinn http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/san-bernardino/waitress-anthropologist-candace-taylor-goes-beyond-the-counter.html San Francisco Photojournalist Candacy Taylor followed her interest in the social dynamics of traditional female work roles to Twentynine Palms and never looked back.

This project has been awarded an Archie Green Fellowship from the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. AMERICAN ROOTS also won KCET's ArtBound contest and was featured on national television. See the video clip above.

AMERICAN ROOTS is a multimedia project that examines how hair intersects with culture and identity. It is the first project of its kind, ripe with cultural criticism, extensive field and historical research, iconic pop culture, and documentary photography. This project untangles the story of Americans and their hair, exploring the critical role it plays in creating our identity and the styling choices we have made to fit in, drop out, and stand out. It pulls back the curtain on salon culture. Whether it’s an upscale salon in midtown Manhattan, a Super Cuts in suburbia, or an abandoned building in the ‘hood — the beauty shop is an institution rooted in rituals as diverse as America. Amidst the fog of hair spray, the clicking of curling irons, and the meditative hum of hair dryers, we literally and figuratively let our hair down and spill our secrets in the comfort of cushioned vinyl. Clients are loyal to their stylists and these relationships last for decades. It's a place to tell stories, listen, be heard, get advice, and a dose of courage to walk through life’s challenges.

The project also examines how the rise in mixed-race populations is changing not only the way we look, act, and see but is also changing our hair texture. An article in the Los Angeles Times confirmed that salons are being nudged out of their comfort zone to serve a new, mixed-race America with different hair textures.

Candacy Taylor traveled over 20.000 miles documenting hair salons that predominantly serve: African American, Caucasian, Dominican, Jamaican, Japanese, Orthodox Jewish, Pakistani, and Transgender communities. It traces the roots of ethnic hairstyling and acknowledges the power of media and celebrity culture.

This is a fascinating time as the very essence of our identity as a country is changing. As a result, new dialogues are emerging and this project captures that conversation. Although hair may appear to be something based on vanity it is really a rich, complex topic for discovery about American culture and about ourselves.

PREVIOUS EXHIBITION

This exhibit featured photography, multimedia and installation of over 200 hair antiques and beauty memorabilia including products, advertisements and styling aids such as gas-powered curling irons and pressing combs and hair dryers from the early 20th century to the 1980s.