Travis Louie, Stella and the Wave of Hair, 2014, acrylic on board, 14 x 11" oval
Miss
Stella spent most of her young life trying to control her hair. It seemed to
have had a mind of its own. It all started when she was 9 years old, while
working for her father who was a tonic salesman. He was trying to perfect a
hair tonic that would give “body†to hair without
customers having to apply all manner of additives to their coif to hold it up.
He came up with a special tonic that he claimed had magical properties. It
would always fall back into place, even after a strong wind or aggressive
tussle. Instead of the intended result, the application of this tonic had
curious side effects. The hair seemed to come alive and reacted according to
the temperament or attitude of its owner. Its shape was affected by emotions.
When angry, the hair would become rigid and pointy, when sad, it would drop
down, and when happy, the hair would wave as if it were swaying back and forth
to music. Poor Miss Stella was the first and
last person to apply this
tonic to her hair.