{"id":12308,"date":"2026-05-24T04:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T11:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/?p=12308"},"modified":"2026-05-21T15:11:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T22:11:05","slug":"the-painting-at-the-hair-salon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/art\/the-painting-at-the-hair-salon\/","title":{"rendered":"The Painting at the Hair Salon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Bali Rice Terraces –Nicki Chen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The salon where I get my hair cut hosts a couple new artists each month. I see their paintings in the mirror and next to the coffee machines, by the desk when I pay, and on a wall facing the sinks. Getting a haircut is like entering an art gallery. A good art gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The person who chooses the artists does a good job. But, as in any collection of paintings, some will be better than others. Or rather, some will suit my taste more than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At my last appointment, while Lindsey was cutting my hair and we were discussing her spring trip and my family news, the large painting behind me reflected in my mirror next to my own reflection. I liked it \u2026 I think. I can\u2019t remember it clearly now. The painting I do remember, though, was on the wall beside the window. That one I didn\u2019t like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or rather, I questioned the artist\u2019s choices. It was a painting of four people standing side by side. Not actual people, just a line up of four sets of very long thin legs with forgettable torsos and arms and tiny round heads with no features at all. (Lindsey didn\u2019t like it either.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My question: What was the artist trying to say? Why did she choose this line-up of anonymous figures as the subject of her painting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the local art galleries I visit, scenery, flowers, children and animals are favorite subjects. It makes sense that out of all the possible subjects, the artist would choose something beautiful or personally meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"painting\"
oil by Michael Maczuga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"picture,
The Scarf by Darlene Gentry Lucas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not always, of course. It you were Picasso, you might paint the great anti-war painting, Guernica<\/em>. Or if were Edvard Munch, you might paint The Scream<\/em> (1893) as a symbol of existential dread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did the artist at the salon have a message and I just didn’t catch it? I always wonder why an artist chooses the subject he does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

###############################################################<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the pictures in this post are from the walls of my house. I choose beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Ukrainian artist chose not to paint a war scene but a lovely view of the Carpathian Mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Picture,
Ukrainian artist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Nicki Chen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The salon where I get my hair cut hosts a couple new artists each month. I see their paintings in the mirror and next to the coffee machines, by the desk when I pay, and on a wall facing the sinks. Getting a haircut is like entering an art gallery. A good art gallery. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[43],"tags":[52,161,2785,2784,1852,1199],"class_list":["post-12308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art","tag-art-2","tag-bali-rice-terraces","tag-carpathian-mountains","tag-darlene-gentry-lucas","tag-hair-salon","tag-michael-maczuga"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3Kn1e-3cw","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":835,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/home\/missed-opportunities\/","url_meta":{"origin":12308,"position":0},"title":"Missed Opportunities","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"October 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I e-mailed my manuscript to the publisher. 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Once, feeling extravagant, I bought\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"IMG_1171","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1171-768x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1171-768x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1171-768x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10142,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/writing\/an-artist-date\/","url_meta":{"origin":12308,"position":2},"title":"An Artist Date","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"March 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Bali by Nicki Chen Last Sunday I went on an \"artist date\" to the Cascadia Art Museum. 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They're meant to be solo affairs, a time for the artist or writer to take a couple hours\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/rice-terraces2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/rice-terraces2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/rice-terraces2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4571,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/art\/sketching-baguio-an-artists-favorite-holiday\/","url_meta":{"origin":12308,"position":3},"title":"Sketching Baguio, an Artist’s Favorite Holiday","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"January 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"For an artist, a sketching trip is the best kind of vacation. And for an artist living in the Philippines, nothing beats Baguio for its breathtaking mountain scenery and cool weather. In 1979, I was spending most of my spare time painting. 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After all, I come here every five weeks or so to get my hair cut. The big pot of flowering plants on the porch sets the mood, a small reminder of how\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/hair-Sue-and-me-with-curls-001-e1551213227717.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":248,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/china\/attaxarty\/","url_meta":{"origin":12308,"position":5},"title":"Chinese Brush Painting","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"October 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019m a writer now, but once upon a time I was a painter. And before that I was the kid who hurried through my multiplication tables so I could draw paper dolls for my friends. We lived in the Philippines when I took up Chinese brush painting. 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