Steven Robertson
Always active Instagram: @stevenrobertsonhair
Oh hi friends on Salon Geeks!
I've recently come across a conversation via hairbrained.me (resource that re-sparked this thought: http://www.hairbrained.me/m/discussion?id=2816969:Topic:1550556) that I used to find very intriguing and spoke about often in seminars I taught both independently, with my salon network and when I worked for the Paul Mitchell Schools system here in the U.S. That subject is hairdressers considering themselves artists. In fact, my client today whom I was doing a simple weaved highlight and lowlight rotation that I've done on her for the last 5 years, the exact same way, and have never changed the formulation because she loves it so much told me while I was foiling that I was "such and artist with color". It's highlights and lowlights. A student could have done them!! So let me give you some brief background so you better understand my personal viewpoint once I give it. I've received my cosmetology license 8 years ago, where while I was in school prepping for my licensing test, I was beyond interested in session styling and photo shoots to the point that I would miss school to work on a local photo shoot with various photographers. This landed me a publication on a cut/color/make up I did in my beginning phase of school, which at that point felt like I was so fancy (which I don't feel like I am). First publication photo attached (I look at it now and am embarrassed, but 7.5 years ago, I thought I was so groundbreaking...and the fake leaves...don't even get me started...
):
Now, years pass....I graduate, start working on becoming an educator for Paul Mitchell Schools while working part time at my current salon (7 days a week!!! Kill me) and continuing to grow in the world of session styling, since that was the only thing I wanted to do. I could have cared less about working in a salon. But that made me money to pay bills. That continuation landed me a few years later as co-art director for Lunatic Fringe Salon's artistic team from 2011-2013, 2 North American Hairdressing Awards in 2012/2013 for Salon Team of the Year, and a nomination for Hairdresser of the Year for 2014 (that I did not win!).
Most of my publications came from styling and a sense of Avant Garde work, which in a way the industry has been deemed artistic. It is safe to say that according to the industry and peers, I've created my fair share of "art". However, I do not see it that way. Not always. In fact very rarely. On only 2 collections I've created out of a billion, I consider artful. The rest was just doing hair to me. Very rarely do I feel like I'm being an artist, yet I hear every day in the salon that hairdressers both young and new express to their clients that they are artists. And when I used to travel around to schools and other salons, often I would hear stylists say they joined the industry because they are artists or want to be artists.
But what does that mean? Is everyone an artist? What is it exactly that makes someone an artist with hair?
Is it training?
Is it self-proclaimation/self-titled?
Is it an idea of artistic expression what ever that means?
Is it the amount of time you've been in the industry?
Is it your resume?
Is it a title given to you by your peers?
Is it an award given to you by your industry?
What separates an everyday hairdresser working behind the chair with a full clientele (or building a clientele) that considers themselves an artist (or who's co-workers and clients consider them an artist) from Robert Lobetta, in my opinion, one of the most visionary artists the hairdressing community has experienced.
What does being an artist mean. What separates an artist in the form of hairdressing, from a so-called cookie-cutter stylist? Take hair painting and balayage for example. For years, it was really only seen on celebrities and in editorials and then considered an artistic form of hair coloring. But now it's so widespread, educated and "everyone has it" because the victory of the industry is that balayage education was created and shared. So is balayage no longer a form of artful coloring because it's been commercialized? Does the commercializing of hair and techniques dilute it's artfulness that it once had. Take the whole pixelation coloring trend that is trending on social media. How artistic!!! But is now in the beginning phase of widespread education (probably to capitalize on it's interest) by the creators and their trainers. So will it lose it's artistic value to commercialization? Same with the use of pastels and vivid tones. Artistic now, but at some point will be the norm.
Is Robert Lobetta an artist simply because he doesn't do highlights and bobs on clients every day? Is he an artist because he creates visions of hair in his mind and brings them to life that couldn't possibly have existed in someone else's mind. And if his uniqueness deems him an artist, does that shame everyone else who may not have that capability or resources to be able to do that? Are artists only those deemed worthy of the BHA, NAHA and other various nomination, claiming to crown the most "artistic hairdressers in our industry" (when really, those competitions come down to photography, hairdressing is the expectation upon entering. Photography (photographers) win(s) the awards, but that's a totally different subject!) What about everyone else?
My personal opinion: I do not feel like "every hairdresser is an artist". I personally know many brilliant stylists who have large clienteles that do the exact same color patterns, same layers, same everything for the most part, on every client. And following strict guidelines and systems make you a well-trained and precise 'craftsman' or 'craftswoman'. And that is ok! Brilliant in fact!! Many people could only dream of achieving such consistency in their crafts. I think even artists dream of such discipline. But in my opinion, that discipline to linear structure and systems (similar to many academic and education systems, especially in the US), hinder and create a black hole to the even remote idea of artistic expression. I consider myself an artist when I have visualized something so vividly that I need to plan out it's execution, because what I currently know won't be able to execute it, usually takes a number of hours/days/months to create, and that it exists within a story to be told that can not be replicated but only within the boundaries within my own story and vision. And again.... I have only achieved that twice in my opinion in 8 years. A photos from each of two collections I consider artful here:
What is everyone else thoughts on every hairdresser that enters the industry being "an artist". Do you claim yourself to be an artist and why? Have you been told that your an artist with hair by your peers, clients or anyone and for what reason? Do you not consider yourself an artist but more of an artisan or craftsman and why?
As opinions in this post could vary greatly, I believe healthy debate is normal and appreciated, but please be respectful to those opinions that you sit on the complete opposite end of the spectrum with. I think this could be very valuable conversation in todays community!
Steven Robertson
www.stevenrobertsonhair.com
Insta: @stevenrobertsonhair
I've recently come across a conversation via hairbrained.me (resource that re-sparked this thought: http://www.hairbrained.me/m/discussion?id=2816969:Topic:1550556) that I used to find very intriguing and spoke about often in seminars I taught both independently, with my salon network and when I worked for the Paul Mitchell Schools system here in the U.S. That subject is hairdressers considering themselves artists. In fact, my client today whom I was doing a simple weaved highlight and lowlight rotation that I've done on her for the last 5 years, the exact same way, and have never changed the formulation because she loves it so much told me while I was foiling that I was "such and artist with color". It's highlights and lowlights. A student could have done them!! So let me give you some brief background so you better understand my personal viewpoint once I give it. I've received my cosmetology license 8 years ago, where while I was in school prepping for my licensing test, I was beyond interested in session styling and photo shoots to the point that I would miss school to work on a local photo shoot with various photographers. This landed me a publication on a cut/color/make up I did in my beginning phase of school, which at that point felt like I was so fancy (which I don't feel like I am). First publication photo attached (I look at it now and am embarrassed, but 7.5 years ago, I thought I was so groundbreaking...and the fake leaves...don't even get me started...
):
Now, years pass....I graduate, start working on becoming an educator for Paul Mitchell Schools while working part time at my current salon (7 days a week!!! Kill me) and continuing to grow in the world of session styling, since that was the only thing I wanted to do. I could have cared less about working in a salon. But that made me money to pay bills. That continuation landed me a few years later as co-art director for Lunatic Fringe Salon's artistic team from 2011-2013, 2 North American Hairdressing Awards in 2012/2013 for Salon Team of the Year, and a nomination for Hairdresser of the Year for 2014 (that I did not win!
).Most of my publications came from styling and a sense of Avant Garde work, which in a way the industry has been deemed artistic. It is safe to say that according to the industry and peers, I've created my fair share of "art". However, I do not see it that way. Not always. In fact very rarely. On only 2 collections I've created out of a billion, I consider artful. The rest was just doing hair to me. Very rarely do I feel like I'm being an artist, yet I hear every day in the salon that hairdressers both young and new express to their clients that they are artists. And when I used to travel around to schools and other salons, often I would hear stylists say they joined the industry because they are artists or want to be artists.
But what does that mean? Is everyone an artist? What is it exactly that makes someone an artist with hair?
Is it training?
Is it self-proclaimation/self-titled?
Is it an idea of artistic expression what ever that means?
Is it the amount of time you've been in the industry?
Is it your resume?
Is it a title given to you by your peers?
Is it an award given to you by your industry?
What separates an everyday hairdresser working behind the chair with a full clientele (or building a clientele) that considers themselves an artist (or who's co-workers and clients consider them an artist) from Robert Lobetta, in my opinion, one of the most visionary artists the hairdressing community has experienced.
What does being an artist mean. What separates an artist in the form of hairdressing, from a so-called cookie-cutter stylist? Take hair painting and balayage for example. For years, it was really only seen on celebrities and in editorials and then considered an artistic form of hair coloring. But now it's so widespread, educated and "everyone has it" because the victory of the industry is that balayage education was created and shared. So is balayage no longer a form of artful coloring because it's been commercialized? Does the commercializing of hair and techniques dilute it's artfulness that it once had. Take the whole pixelation coloring trend that is trending on social media. How artistic!!! But is now in the beginning phase of widespread education (probably to capitalize on it's interest) by the creators and their trainers. So will it lose it's artistic value to commercialization? Same with the use of pastels and vivid tones. Artistic now, but at some point will be the norm.
Is Robert Lobetta an artist simply because he doesn't do highlights and bobs on clients every day? Is he an artist because he creates visions of hair in his mind and brings them to life that couldn't possibly have existed in someone else's mind. And if his uniqueness deems him an artist, does that shame everyone else who may not have that capability or resources to be able to do that? Are artists only those deemed worthy of the BHA, NAHA and other various nomination, claiming to crown the most "artistic hairdressers in our industry" (when really, those competitions come down to photography, hairdressing is the expectation upon entering. Photography (photographers) win(s) the awards, but that's a totally different subject!) What about everyone else?
My personal opinion: I do not feel like "every hairdresser is an artist". I personally know many brilliant stylists who have large clienteles that do the exact same color patterns, same layers, same everything for the most part, on every client. And following strict guidelines and systems make you a well-trained and precise 'craftsman' or 'craftswoman'. And that is ok! Brilliant in fact!! Many people could only dream of achieving such consistency in their crafts. I think even artists dream of such discipline. But in my opinion, that discipline to linear structure and systems (similar to many academic and education systems, especially in the US), hinder and create a black hole to the even remote idea of artistic expression. I consider myself an artist when I have visualized something so vividly that I need to plan out it's execution, because what I currently know won't be able to execute it, usually takes a number of hours/days/months to create, and that it exists within a story to be told that can not be replicated but only within the boundaries within my own story and vision. And again.... I have only achieved that twice in my opinion in 8 years. A photos from each of two collections I consider artful here:
What is everyone else thoughts on every hairdresser that enters the industry being "an artist". Do you claim yourself to be an artist and why? Have you been told that your an artist with hair by your peers, clients or anyone and for what reason? Do you not consider yourself an artist but more of an artisan or craftsman and why?
As opinions in this post could vary greatly, I believe healthy debate is normal and appreciated, but please be respectful to those opinions that you sit on the complete opposite end of the spectrum with. I think this could be very valuable conversation in todays community!
Steven Robertson
www.stevenrobertsonhair.com
Insta: @stevenrobertsonhair
