Consider. What is important to you? How would you describe yourself? Write ten words that are central to your identity.

Body, Gender, Identity in Art

People often style their hair to align themselves with certain trends, social groups, or political statements.

1. Research. Pick at least two works of art that depict people. Start by visiting the website for Hair: Untangling the Roots of Identity, an exhibition at Cornell University’s Johnson Museum of Art. You can also search in MoMA’s collection.
http://museum.cornell.edu/exhibitions/hair-untangling-roots-identity
https://www.moma.org/collection/

2. Consider and create. Looking at the subject(s) in the work of art, think about what their hairstyles might reveal about their identity. What does the hairstyle of the person in the image you chose say about them? How would you describe them? Lower class? Upper class? Young? Old? Etc.

An individual’s identity is made up of many different factors.

3. Consider. What is important to you? How would you describe yourself? Write ten words that are central to your identity. These words can be anything, including social categories such as ethnicity and gender, adjectives describing your personality, issues or beliefs you care about, and your favorite pastimes and activities.

4. Create. Make an abstract self portrait. Create a collage that represents the different aspects of your identity. Write a paragraph describing the self-portrait collage you made of yourself.

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