Good and Bad Hair. Photographs by Bill Gaskins
New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1997. 1st Edition. Oblong quarto, publisher's black cloth, spine gilt, upper board blindstamped, taupe endpapers, original photo-illustrated dust jacket.
"When a Black child was born, I would hear my mother or other Black women refer to the child's hair as good. They'd say, 'That child has a good grade of hair.'" Catalog published in conjunction with a traveling exhibit showcasing work by renowned photographer and African-American studies scholar Bill Gaskins. Predominantly known for his work exploring representations of African-Americans in art and culture, Gaskins produced what would become Good Hair and Bad Hair while traveling across the US in the 1990s. Consisting of photos of men, women, and children, the groundbreaking series presents and celebrates Black hairstyles as forms of cultural and potentially political expression. Illustrated with black-and-white plates; with an introduction by American poet Nikky Finney. Textblock lightly shaken; light soiling to unclipped dust jacket. Very good. Item #6122
$275.00