Defining art through everyday culture | Harris Eliott | TEDxIbiza

The speaker reflects on how childhood Saturday rituals, like getting a haircut and going to the market, were their first encounters with art and culture. These experiences, though not always enjoyable at the time, shaped their understanding of community and identity. The barber shop, in particular, is described as a vital hub for the Black male community, a space where grooming and connection intertwined. The hand-painted sign, the collage of banknotes from returning travelers, and the scent of cologne and talcum powder all contributed to a unique atmosphere that the speaker felt was more than just a business; it was an art installation. The journey to the market was also viewed as a form of performance art. The vibrant, chaotic scene of people from all walks of life haggling for goods created a rich tapestry of human interaction. This experience led the speaker, as an artist, to question societal definitions of value and to seek to recreate the tactile feelings and unfiltered identity references of their childhood in their own work. They aim to disrupt boundaries between fear and community, and blur the lines between culture and art. This artistic philosophy is evident in their later projects. The speaker discovered discarded rice sacks from Ghana, which were repurposed into stylish tote bags. This act of transforming everyday materials into something desirable and functional became a way to create art from culture, echoing the proverb that "until the lion is allowed to tell his story the hunter will always be the hero." Another significant project was the exhibition "Return of the Rude Boy," a collaboration with photographer Dean Chalkley. The exhibition explored the history and influence of the "rude boy" subculture, which originated in Jamaica and significantly impacted British youth culture, inspiring mods, skinheads, and punks. By showcasing this narrative in Somerset House, a building with historical ties to the transatlantic slave trade, the speaker aimed to reclaim space and highlight powerful Black British narratives. The exhibition's success and the strong reactions it elicited demonstrated the audience's deep connection to these cultural stories. More recently, the speaker collaborated with hairdresser Johnny Sapong on installations titled "Le Salon: The Art of Conversation." These spaces, inspired by Patrick's barber shop, were designed to foster dialogue and connection. A poignant anecdote from one of these installations highlights the power of art and community to facilitate unexpected human connections. A Rastafarian hairdresser and a Thatcherite Tory MP, who were neighbors but never knew each other, found common ground and emotional release through a shared connection to a deceased friend. This experience underscored the artist Caesar A. Cruz's quote: "Art is there to disturb the comfortable but it should also be there to comfort the disturbed." The speaker concludes by challenging the audience to reflect on their own vivid and precious memories and the people and environments that have impacted them. They emphasize that by embracing the beauty of culture around us, we can disrupt preoccupied thoughts and open portals for deeper connection with each other. The speaker's work is driven by a desire to create culturally rich visual narratives that foster these moments of connection.