Hair Washing and Memory Recording this Sunday morning

As last year, this Sunday, September 11, 2011, Emily Sloan will be washing people's hair and recording their memories of "where we were and what we were doing on this day in history..." This event will take place from 10am to noon at 1724 Bissonnet (between Dunlavy and Woodhead), Houston, Texas 77005.

In her practice, Sloan utilizes hair washing for memory, story telling, cleansing, ritual and intimacy. Hair washing has been a vehicle for people to share stories for decades in salons. Additionally last spring, this ritual helped us to raise funds, similarly to a car wash as a fundraiser, for relief efforts in Japan after the tremendous earthquake.

(Photo by Dean Liscum.)

ABOUT EMILY SLOAN
Emily Sloan is an internationally unknown artist, curator of The Kenmore an exhibition mini-fridge, and founding Reverend of the controversial Southern Naptist Convention.

ABOUT GALLERY 1724
Gallery 1724 is a gallery, salon, home, and chicken ranch located in the Houston Museum District. The space features experimental rotating house exhibits.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Event time: Sunday, September 11, 8am to 12pm

CONTACT
Emily Sloan
c/o Gallery 1724
1724 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
gallery1724@gmail.com
713-582-1198

Wash Day

Wash is a performance about cleansing, ritual and intimacy. A full day at Gallery 1724 in Houston, Texas was devoted to the washing of hair including anointing with oils. There were twenty participants and numerous observers. It was a nicely paced day of washing and talking. During Wash, conversations included memories of September 11, 2001, memories of having their hair washed by their mothers, and the love and pampering of having their hair washed by someone else. We also discussed comparisons to foot washing and baptism, vulnerability, and the intimacy of touch, particularly to the head.

The performance was documented through photographs and sound.




Above photo courtesy of Dean Liscum and Sophie Simons.


Photos courtesy of: Heather Korb, Dean Liscum, Merilee Minshew, Sophie Simons, and Emily Sloan.

Floor before, with foils...

Floor after, foils with imprint from traffic...