Harry Roseman's Haircut Photographs Displayed at Sacha & Olivier Barbershop

From September 6 to October 11, 2014, Harry Roseman's exhibition 'In the Mirror, Haircuts- 1988-2014' was installed at Sacha & Olivier's barbershop located at 6 West 18th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in New York City. The show featured forty-one color photographs documenting Roseman's haircuts over a quarter-century, taken by Olivier, his longtime hairdresser. Images ranged from large to snapshot-sized and were displayed unframed on walls, mirrors, and amidst barber chairs during salon hours. This presentation contrasted with typical gallery settings, integrating art into the everyday environment of haircutting. Roseman aimed to transform routine into ritual, echoing themes of self-portraiture and performance art. The work invites comparisons to genre painting and modernist photography, though it avoids psychological revelation. Viewers experience the images fragmented within the shop's clutter, enriching their engagement. Charles Baudelaire's writings on modern life omitted barbershops, a gap noted by the critic. Walker Evans and Robert Frank previously photographed such spaces. Roseman's project highlights male self-consciousness during grooming, using mirrors as tools for external self-scrutiny.