06 5 / 2013
Dreads by Francesco Mastalia and Alfonse Pagano
Dreadlocks are a modern phenomenon with roots reaching as far back as the fifth century. According to ancient Hindu beliefs, dreads signified a singleminded pursuit of the spiritual. Devotion to God displaced vanity, and hair was left to its own devices.
Dreads captures this organic explosion of hair in all its beautiful, subversive glory. One hundred duotone portraits present dread-heads from around the world, in all walks of life. Interviewed on location by the photographers, jatta-wearers wax philosophic about the integrity of their hair, and every stunning image confirms their choice. Alice Walker puts words to pictures, offering lyrical ruminations about her decision to let her own mane mat.
Dread images via Black Fashion.
(via youngblackandvegan)
15 4 / 2013
Commentary.
In February, I posted two pieces in Bed-Stuy on Tompkins and Halsey. These two pieces got the most attention of any pieces I’ve put up so far. Within a few days, someone had written his response to the work directly onto the posters. From there, a woman wrote a response to him. And it went on and, on with different hand-written comments creating this kind of interesting discussion. The pieces remained up until a week or so ago, when the phallic image was drawn. That’s when I decided to try to take them down.
The “Stop Telling Women to Smile” piece remained in tact enough for me to include it in the exhibition. I thought it was important to present in the show, so that people could view these written reactions.
(Source: stoptellingwomentosmile, via sheabuttakay)
15 4 / 2013
I don’t know who she is but I see her everywhere and her hair is so unique!
(via kingmyego)
13 4 / 2013
13 4 / 2013
12 4 / 2013
Florida A & M University student Ruby Powell thumbs a ride during the pro-integration Tallahassee bus boycott, June 1, 1956. It is the fifth day of the boycott
Edit: Found a better version and the caption
12 4 / 2013
shar-kitty submitted: This is a photo of my ancestor, Poundmaker (“Pitikwahanapiwiyin” was his Cree name). He is from the Prairies in Canada and was First Nations. He lived during the late 1800s.
(via zerahzerahzerah)
