killing denouement

I came across this excellent collaboration some time ago, (via style bubble), which describes itself as

an instinctual stalking of fashion, architecture, performance and the body. They share a fascination with genetic manipulation and beauty expression. Unconsciously their work touches upon these themes, however it is not their intention to communicate this. They work in a primitive and limitless way creating future human shapes, blindly discovering low – tech prosthetic ways for human enhancement.

While the silicone injection and augmentations and steroid pumping is pretty sweet, I especially love the commentary on body hair, which is such a strange/touchy subject for women – especially now that summer’s here. The bestocking-ed one is wonderfully titled ‘Office Legs’. I’ve known ladies who will proudly grow leg and/or underarm hair out (replete with measuring contests?) but still perfectly tweeze and manicure their eyebrows. Others use it as a canvas, even shaving messages into their leg, much like the way people are drawn to tagging and drawing on a dusty car. Still others – probably the trained majority prefer to take it all off.

And yeah, the focus on hairlessness is undeniably a byproduct of society’s fetishisation of the prepubescent little girl, propagated practically everywhere, from porn to “how to get the PERFECT summer legs!!!”. It’s not just the ladies, though. I have a friend who shaves at least 2-3+ times on a daily basis, maybe more if he’s going out. He says that it makes him feel like this. I don’t know if this is the norm in the gay community – perhaps someone can enlighten me on this?

Lucy and Bart also did this (presumably) series, ‘Germination’. I can’t help but think of Mr Potato head , which would sport grassy hair when it was watered daily (before going traumatisingly – for a little girl whose plants all also died in the blistering desert head – mouldy). Seriously, I think the only thing I’ve ever successfully grown is a sprouted bean plant. In a jar of water. Others I know appear to be spending their summers doing organic farming in places like Mexico and Sweden; yet others have flourishing compost heaps and indoor gardens. Huh. Here’s (so far) Days 1 and 8, anyway.

ps: a really interesting post that further discusses the politics of body hair.