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| InLiquid presents Hairdos That Solve Problems, an installation by Brenna K. Murphy. Inspired by vintage illustrations, the artist incorporates her own hair into a series of female portraits that question contemporary ideas of beauty. Created directly on the wall, the drawings are in keeping with the artist's ongoing interest in the body as subject matter, while hair as a drawing medium allows the artist to further explore themes of identity.
Using a 1964 Family Circle “Guide to Beauty,” as source material, Murphy's portraits poke fun at beauty trends and styles over the last 30 some years. At the root of the drawings however, is Murphy's interest in how little has actually changed when it comes to obsessions and insecurities associated with visual perfection and its impact on female identity. She writes "Looking through the instructional pencil drawings and dated photography, it’s not hard to see parallels between these images and the Western concept of beauty today. Over thirty years since the feminist revolution in America, and we are still worried about makeup, weight loss, and ‘bad hair days.’ The pressure put on women to maintain ridiculous standards of beauty is just as real today as it was in 1964." Brenna K. Murphy received a B.F.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Since completing her degree in 2004 she has been focusing on work that investigates both the body and the concept of home – inspired by her nomadic upbringing. She currently lives and works in Philadelphia.
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