Fans of facial hair will love the new Somerset House beards exhibition, a photographic celebration of all things bearded.
Though the beard has now become synonymous with East London hipsters, this hasn’t always been the case. Delving back into art history, there are plenty of hairy chins that have nothing to do with artisan coffee or retro clothing.
Think back to the stubble of Vincent Van Gogh, as famed for his golden sunflowers as for his flaming red facial hair. And the Dutchman is not short of competition. From Roman busts to Holbein’s Ambassadors, there are plenty of furry faces in the Visual Arts world.
Somerset House Beard exhibition London 2015
This latest chapter in the beard’s history is a series of 80 portraits taken by photographer Brock Elbank (known as Mr Elbank) who started the project to help out a friend’s charity. Subjects vary from well-known faces like actor John Hurt and artist Gavin Turk, to Harnaam Kaur, a woman with polycystic ovaries whose own facial hair is a result of the syndrome. There's even images of the photographer's two young girls wearing fake beards. The magic of the show is all in the curating, which places the bearded Everton goalkeeper next to a humble fisherman that Elbank met on the coast. Incredibly people have flocked to Elbank to have their photo taken, with one American disciple getting his first passport specially for the trip!
But for Elbank, a beard alone is not enough to make a good subject. “It’s not the beard,” he remarked to The Guardian, “it’s the person wearing the beard ...just interesting people, a real cross-section of society that will be brought together in this show”.
Whether or not you’re a fan of the facial fuzz, the final series on display at Somerset House, London features some arresting photographic portraits, with each work a providing a careful study of the individual. The project also has a more serious agenda at its heart, designed to draw attention to the dangers of melanoma skin cancer.
While a more whimsical alternative to some of the weightier art exhibitions taking place in the capital this spring, Beard promises not to disappoint.
Though the beard has now become synonymous with East London hipsters, this hasn’t always been the case. Delving back into art history, there are plenty of hairy chins that have nothing to do with artisan coffee or retro clothing.
Think back to the stubble of Vincent Van Gogh, as famed for his golden sunflowers as for his flaming red facial hair. And the Dutchman is not short of competition. From Roman busts to Holbein’s Ambassadors, there are plenty of furry faces in the Visual Arts world.
Somerset House Beard exhibition London 2015
This latest chapter in the beard’s history is a series of 80 portraits taken by photographer Brock Elbank (known as Mr Elbank) who started the project to help out a friend’s charity. Subjects vary from well-known faces like actor John Hurt and artist Gavin Turk, to Harnaam Kaur, a woman with polycystic ovaries whose own facial hair is a result of the syndrome. There's even images of the photographer's two young girls wearing fake beards. The magic of the show is all in the curating, which places the bearded Everton goalkeeper next to a humble fisherman that Elbank met on the coast. Incredibly people have flocked to Elbank to have their photo taken, with one American disciple getting his first passport specially for the trip!
But for Elbank, a beard alone is not enough to make a good subject. “It’s not the beard,” he remarked to The Guardian, “it’s the person wearing the beard ...just interesting people, a real cross-section of society that will be brought together in this show”.
Whether or not you’re a fan of the facial fuzz, the final series on display at Somerset House, London features some arresting photographic portraits, with each work a providing a careful study of the individual. The project also has a more serious agenda at its heart, designed to draw attention to the dangers of melanoma skin cancer.
While a more whimsical alternative to some of the weightier art exhibitions taking place in the capital this spring, Beard promises not to disappoint.
| What | Beard, Somerset House |
| Where | Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Charing Cross (underground) |
| When |
05 Mar 15 – 29 Mar 15, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Price | £Free |
| Website | Click here for more details |
