The Coiffured
by Amanda Jane Graham
Art, Hairdressing and Art History · From ancient Egypt to the French Revolution
The Coiffured is interdisciplinary. It combines three critical areas of Amanda Jane Graham’s life: art practice, sociology, and the two decades she spent as a hairstylist. It encompasses a lifetime of experiences into unique and beautiful detailed drawings. The art practice is research-led. It brings art history, hairdressing history and her expert knowledge of hairdressing techniques together in the artworks. A sociological lens reveals the hairdressing profession's rich and fantastic history. Thus, her creative approach provokes a revaluation of historical art from the perspective of a hairstylist.
An Ode to Léonard Alexis Autié
An Ode to Léonard Alexis Autié is inspired by an etching titled ‘Marie Antoinette’ by Jean-Baptiste-Andre Gautier d'Agoty 1777, where the queen wears the revolutionary hairstyle created by Autier called the' Coiffure Pyramidale'. The etching is part of the Art Institute of Chicago's collection.
An Ode to Léonard Alexis Autié is available to purchase.
The Concept Behind The Coiffured
As a stylist, Amanda Jane Graham faced discriminatory remarks on numerous occasions. 'Sure, what would you know, you're only a hairdresser'. The industry remains undervalued as a career choice, and prejudiced comments like 'would you not do something better' are commonplace. The sociologist within Graham was curious to discover where this bias originated. She believes it is inequitable that an industry that positively impacts people's lives endures misrepresentation, and that understanding the unjust mindset toward the sector might change it. As she researched, a rich, fascinating, and largely unknown history unfolded, and the social bias emerged as an inherited viewpoint from 18th-century Paris.
Edmund Burke: Tight Roundy Brush Blow Dry (with butterfly clips)
Graphite, Colour Pencil & Pastels, 57 x 48 cm,2022
Edmund Burke: Tight Roundy Brush Blow Dry (with butterfly clips) is inspired by the hairstyle in the portrait of Edmund Burke (1774) by Sir Joshua Reynolds, which is housed in the National Galleries of Scotland collection.
Edmund Burke: Tight Roundy Brush Blow Dry (with butterfly clips) is available to purchase.
From Research to Artwork
Amanda Jane Graham’s art practice is autobiographical and auto-ethnographic in that she interrogates her narrative. Research forms the heart of this project. In 18th-century Paris, hairstylists aspired to be recognised as artists, but their creative ambitions were overlooked, and their influence on portraiture was pushed aside. The Coiffured seeks to rewrite that narrative. Graham shines a light on the vital creative contributions and collaborative artistry hairstylists have brought to art history.
The twenty-four years Graham worked as a stylist significantly influences her engagement with the viewer. She communicates with the viewer as she did with clients in the salon, where the mirror is the third eye. While standing behind a person, a stylist looks the client straight in the eyes. Graham’s artwork is her third eye. She speaks directly to the observer in an intimate conversation of visual language and emotional connection.
Queen: Set and Style
Hand-finished 3D print, 2022
Queen: Set and Style is inspired by the beauty and perfection of 18th-century marble sculptures. It acknowledges the contribution of the hair and beauty professionals to that perfection.
Queen: Set and Style is one in an edition of five hand painted printed sculptures that are available to purchase.
Belated Recognition. The Inclusion of Historical Collaborators in Art History
Advocating for occupational inclusion in the arts and arts discourse is a central to Amanda Jane Graham’s practice. She directly places the hairdressing profession within the frame of historical art. By using recognisable hair salon equipment and techniques, and hairdressing terminology as the titles of the artworks, she acknowledges and celebrates the hair and beauty sector's significant contribution to art history as a collaborative process.
Merit: Piggyback and Spiral Wind
Graphite and colour pencils, 57 x 37 cm,2021
Merit: Piggyback and Spiral Wind is based on the ornate hair design documented in the death mask of Merit, wife of Kha, housed in the collection of Museo Egizio in Turin.
Merit: Piggyback and Spiral Wind is available to purchase.
Judith: Basic and Piggyback Wind
Graphite, Colour Pencil & Pastels, 65 x 44 cm,2022
The hair design worn by Judith in the painting Judith with the head of Holofernes by Simon Vouet (1620-22) inspired Graham’s drawing, Judith: Basic and Piggyback Wind. Vouet’s painting is held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna collection.
Judith: Basic and Piggyback Wind is part of a private colection.
Sage: Set and Style
Hand-finished 3D print, 194 x 40 x 40 cm, 2022
Sage: Set and Style is inspired by the beauty and perfection of Greek and Roman sculpture. Sage: Set and Style points out that the reason for the perfection was the expertise of hair and beauty professionals.
Sage: Set and Style is one in an edition of five hand painted printed sculptures that are available to purchase.