Bright, loud and competitive these advertising boards depict the latest hairstyles in fashion. They are carried either by itinerant barbers or nailed to salon walls, enticing the passer-by to stop a moment for a fabulous grooming experience!
The intention of barber posters is commercial. They are painted using a variety of paint, mostly on plywood but also on masonite, pieces of metal and fabric in some countries, depending on what is available. They are made on commission, as adverts in sign writers’ studios by young men out to earn a living. Besides the hairstyles featured, the talented painter uses a variety of techniques, bright colours, dots, starbursts and crests to activate the surface of the poster, hoping to visually outdo posters at competitive salons.
They represent traditional hairdressing styles and new techniques, displaying the transition from African rural to contemporary urban life more poignantly than any artistic expression of current time.
Traditional hairstyles depicted in early photography or historically recorded on sculpture, were achieved with cutting and shaping hair with techniques like binding, plaiting, extending and elongating the hair over frames, colouring with oxides, moulding with wax or fat and enhancing the hair with beads, large pieces of amber, strings of raffia and other objects. Additional features imparting a three dimensional effect are combs, head-scratches and hairpins made from a variety of materials.
Hairstyles on sculpture identified particular ancestors or ethnic groups and were carved with detail as in the example on the right.. But the move to depict styles on advertising posters embraces a new medium and format.
These posters testify to the encounter with Western culture as they are influenced by advertising styles, photographic images, pictures of pop and soccer icons. Also, many of the heads featured on posters are actual portraits alluding to an American subculture among African youth which undoubtedly challenges traditional norms and values. Literacy in the form of haircut names underpin this, referring to movie stars and sporting greats.: Eddie Murphy cut, Tyson style, Franco Nero. The names of foreign destinations refer to the aspirations of the youth for international travel, better opportunities and a jet- set lifestyle such as : New York angle, Santiago, concord zip cut, boeing 707 and cocaine cut, among others.
Each country seems to have developed a particular style of barber signs, perhaps coherent with the aesthetic and artistic tradition of the people. Rows of hairstyles are portrayed either in the vertical or horizontal format and the composition and spacial arrangement changes from place to place, perhaps also influenced by particular artists preferences. An example of this is that many images with an outline are depicted on posters coming from Togo, whereas barber signs in Mali have a more gentle approach and a few large heads are portrayed..
Both men and womens' hairstyles are featured. In Ghana, barber posters are colourful and realistically rendered. Their directness of message, honesty of style and humour captivate the viewer immediately. From the hilarious names to the odd cartoon-like characters festooning the board in outrageous poses. The later refer to cartoons on European posters and iconography of the 1930/40s.
The Ghanaian posters below hint at the need for additional grooming aids, like pots of wax or gel to update the urban image.
The artistic style found in Mali is totally different. One considers them beautiful in their simplicity of composition, and classic representation as the attenuated faces are simply drawn against a muted background. There is a sense of solemnity about them, and the subdued colour palette contrasts the jazzy up-beat atmosphere of the Ghana posters. When comparing the painterly images from these 2 countries, it is like comparing a page of calligraphy with effigies of catholic saints, both genres are beautiful and have their place.
Sign writers and their patrons commissioning these posters have inadvertently changed the way these paintings are perceived. Collectors in the fine art market have reassessed them as a form of contemporary African art and are now attuned to the potential of this humble art form.
The first exhibition of barber posters was held at University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in the early 1990s, reviewed by Professor Karel Nel in African arts magazine. Posters have subsequently been shown at notable venues in the United states. Following this, international interest sparked several books on the subject, including: African signs- Hair in African art and culture, Hairdressing and barbershop signs.
But what of photographic documentation?
Nigerian photographer J. D. Okhai Ojeikere systematically built up a portfolio of over 1000 different hairdressing styles over many years. These splendid black and white photos, many taken from behind, depict the sculptural aspects of hair with a modernist clarity.
Medina Dugger, a contemporary photographer inspired by his vision, has added colour and movement to the mix, also using instagram to reinterpret and activate aspects of hairstyles to become three-dimensional mandalas.
The iconic Grace Jones internationally changed conceptions regarding black women and hairstyles in the 1980/90s. Her hard-edged androgynous look revolutionized traditional ideas of beauty at the time.
International models such as Angolan Maria Borges, has been the first black model in 2016, to wear short natural hair on the Victoria secret catwalks.
Please refer to post on Ibo mirrors, Nigeria for more info regarding styling.
