Punk Rock Barber Shop
The Punk Rock Barber Shop
(And Tattoo and Piercing Parlor)
Mohawks, afros, liberty spikes, dreadlocks, pixies, buzz cuts. It doesn’t matter what color or style, if you can dream it, you can get it done at The Punk Rock Barber Shop.
This mixed media illustration show features puppets, sculpture, and paintings as part of a unique world of colorful characters with gravity-defying hair.
The Punk Rock Barber Shop show was held at Artisan Collective Enterprise 40.8 (ACE 40.8) in July of 2020.
The Punk Rock Barber Shop sculpture was entered into the Decatur Sculpture Tour from 2020-2021, and was displayed in the window of Rebecca Cochran’s building on the main street.
Characters and World
In the heart of Dalquin, Ohio there lives a barber named Clipper, a tattoo artist named Helix, and their son Patch. They run the Punk Rock Barber Shop, with Clipper (whose real name is Clifford) working on the ground floor as a barber, while Helix works upstairs in her tattoo parlor.
“The Punk Rock Barbershop Quartet” is a punk interpretation of Norman Rockwell’s “Barbershop Quartet”. This watercolor painting shows Clipper and his glam punk group performing in their usual venue: the barbershop.
Sculptures and Puppets
In total, there are three poseable puppets, seven sculpted figures, and countless magnet heads. Each of these were crafted with care, as the process of preparing for this show took months. I tried to change up my process, having a different goal in mind for the different characters.
Lux, in his teal suit, was my first attempt, with his limbs set apart to counter-balance one another. Pixie, with her gothic ballerina attire, is balanced like a dancer, with the figure holding all weight in the base to support her spindly arms and fingers. Vivienne winks at the camera, the result of working to craft more expressive faces. Lola’s seated pose shows off the way clay mimics folded fabric. Seraphina’s crisscross position on the floor was used to strengthen the figure while maintaining a casual stance. Comet sports a mohawk and hand painted galaxy of planet tattoos. And Rudy, with his rainbow dreads, was just for fun.
Behind the Scenes
The puppets were made using wire skeletons that were twisted to give the figure a strong support. The head, face, and shoes were sculpted out of clay and baked to harden. Foam was sewn onto the body to give the characters a bit of muscle. Tiny clothes were sewn directly onto the character. Clay elements were painted with acrylic, and small details were added in, like Clipper’s scissors or Helix’s tattoo gun. Lastly, the characters were painted and yarn hair was applied.
