RAD
How cool are you with your hipster do, your mutton chops, your fu manchu? Do you ROCK a BEARD? Do you grow a GOAT...or sport a lil SOUL? Let me paint you .. Now thats cool!
The act of modifying one’s face to meet a standard of appropriateness by shaving is not so different than other forms of body modification...it is just one that majority has adopted as professional, aesthetically pleasing and/or appropriate. Throughout history men with facial hair have been ascribed attributes with polar opposite distinctions; on one hand being wise, virile, masculine, holy and on the other; wild, untamed, dirty, of ill repute, or a part of a sub-culture and/or radical intent. It is the very notion of what is defined as being “radical” that intrigues me. On one side you have men in radically conservative and/or religious cultures such as; Amish, Mennonite, Hassidic Judaism, Islamic and Muslim followers, and Sikhs who grow beards as signs of holiness and reverence. On the opposite side of the spectrum you have men in in subculture contexts like; bikers, hipsters, rockers, hippies, bears, tree huggers, people of the streets and even academics.
Whether conservative or liberal, both sit on opposite sides of of males representing the “mainstream” e.g. from doctors to lawyers or bankers to Mormon Missionaries. The Corporate America “clean” cut look has been adopted as what is becoming, professional, and aesthetically appropriate. For this reason I have become intrigued by those who sport a beard for my series RAD (short for radical). If you are a dude and are wearing a beard and are willing to modify or document the growth from a clean shaven face to full growth...or if you change the style and are willing to document it for me...please email me to contribute to the project and I will add your face to my RAD series. All you brothers out there..."LEND ME YOUR bEARds…show me your RADical"
Email me for more info.
Matthew Ivan Cherry