I can't believe I missed Canadian artist Darren O’Donnell's contribution to Performa07, the performance art biennial that just ended in NYC. Titled Haircuts by Children, it was sponsored by Art In General, which arranged for children ages 8-12 to provide free haircuts in hair salons in AIG's neighborhood, Chinatown & Tribeca:
Haircuts by Children invites a consideration of children as creative and competent individuals whose aesthetic efforts should be trusted. The project takes up the belief that it’s important to consider that children should be permitted to participate politically. The idea that children should have access to the political process is, to many, as alien as the suggestion that children should be allowed access to our hair. Letting children cut hair whimsically references or evokes the kind of leap of faith, courage and understanding required to grant children deeper citizenship rights.Grand ideal, but how much faith does it really take for a Canadian to get a bad haircut smack in the middle of ear flap trader hat season? Also, for some reason, I now have Pat Benatar lodged in my brain.
Haircuts by Children, by Darren O'Donnell, Nov 3 & 10, 2007 [artingeneral.org]
See the slightly longer Performa07 writeup here [performa-arts.org]
Wait, my Norwegian friend Ingar's in an electronic folk band?? Throw me frickin' bone, people. I'm the big man. I need the info. [artforum]
