After seeing a photograph by Felix Nadar (Marie Laurent, de dos, circa 1856) at the National Library of France that depicts a woman’s back and her hair with a clip, Tara Bogart wondered what that same image would like look today. That inspired Bogart to start A Modern Hair Study series –portraits of women’s torsos photographed from behind. These portraits focus on what makes these women unique and how they express their personal identities through visual cues, such as hair style, hair color, hair ornaments, jewelry, tattoos, and body language.
Over this the course of this project, Bogart has photographed women in their 20’s and 30’s in various cities throughout the world. Over the years, Bogart has photographed some women multiple times, which allows the viewer to watch how these women’s visual expressions of personal identity change over time.
In July of 2019, Bogart set up her portable studio in one of the hotel rooms at the Saint Kate, and she photographed a series of 61 women throughout the day. This exhibition shows a selection of the portraits taken at the Saint Kate. During this exhibition, Bogart will set up her portable studio at the Saint Kate again and continue to add to A Modern Hair Study series.
