Root Ginger

Root Ginger

26 January, 2009
by: SUSIE

What's so bad about being ginger? As a redhead by choice (by bottle) perhaps I am not the best person to ask. But the fact is, as if branding the blondes 'dumb' wasn't enough, this nation of ours is uniquely disposed to prejudice against our redheaded population. To cite just one example, police are currently investigating the 'National Kick A Ginger Day' Facebook group, which has around 5,000 members.

The foundations of the prejudice span the usual myths, legends, questionable theories and utter nonsense – everything from the depiction of the devil as a redhead; the burning of flame-haired 'witches' in Europe; a reputed higher threshold for pain and a widely assumed increased sexual appetite and fiery temper.

In February 2009 Jenny Wicks' exhibition Root Ginger: A Study of Red Hair opens at the Idea Generation Gallery, in conjunction with a book and short film. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Striking photographic portraits are presented alongside quotations and anecdotes, providing an insight into the ginger experience.

While previous projects in a similar vein have positioned themselves as a light-hearted defence through celebration, the scope of Root Ginger is greater in breadth and depth. Here Jenny Wicks explains all.


Lucie Wicks, © Jenny Wicks, Root Ginger at Idea Generation Gallery www.ideageneration.co.uk

SW: Your previous work has addressed minority groups and sub sets. Can you tell me a bit more about that work and how it fed into Root Ginger?

JW: Photography is a great way to draw attention to groups of people we might see everyday but don't really think about. We all see thousands of images every week – celebs and models. I'm not interested in that, I'm much more drawn to everyday people that are genuinely remarkable but ignored.

SW: Can you describe the research that was undertaken as part of the project (to be presented in the book)?

JW: Myself and Hugh Kippen (a biologist and researcher) did the research. There are a couple of books that were published a while ago and a few interest groups on the net but for something that is so common and related to so many big issues it seems strange there is not more literature out there. It was about pulling together lots of different strands. Red hair can tell us about how humans developed and became hairless, about human migrations, how we survived the ice age, mechanisms of sexual attraction, skin cancer, prehistoric diets, social prejudices – loads of stuff.
 
SW: You've said the project is as much about Cystic Fibrosis (another recessive gene) as it is about red hair.

JW: The connection between CF and red hair is much more a personal one. The whole project – the film, book and exhibition were all inspired by my nephew and niece who are both red heads. Their mum is a redhead but their dad – my brother – isn't. Red hair is a recessive gene so it has to be passed down by both parents, therefore my brother has the mutated MC1R gene and I might have it too.

Cystic Fibrosis works in the same way and my red haired nephew has CF, hence the reason why the project is in support of the CF Trust. I'm interested in the things that are hidden inside us in our genes that we might never see but could have a big impact on our children or their children.

I'm not fascinated by red hair per se, but people's reactions to it. It's lovely and attractive but it's just hair. I'm more interested in the type of attention it gets – both negative and positive and whether the people that are commenting on the colour of someone's hair actually know why they are doing so.


Dave Wilson, © Jenny Wicks, Root Ginger at Idea Generation Gallery www.ideageneration.co.uk

SW: Do you feel that you, as an artist, have the power to influence and therefore have a social responsibility?

JW: I take pictures of things that interest me, make me feel something. I do this because I enjoy doing it and it's a challenge to me. Having a show opens your work up to criticism but doesn't make me responsible to society.

SW: Can you tell me about how you found your subjects and how you managed to bring out their personalities in the photographs.

JW: I advertised on various forums, in magazines and through word of mouth. I stopped people in the street and friends recruited people. The reluctant models didn't show up for the shoots but most people were really up for it. You have to direct people to a certain extent and you create the environment, lighting etc, but you want people to show through all that. My interest was largely in how people react to red hair/redheads and we had this group of people – the models – who were all experts on it, had experienced it everyday.

SW: Root Ginger comprises an exhibition, book and film: the exhibition will be on at the Idea Generation Gallery, but can you tell me more about the film and the book and where they will be shown/available?

JW: The film will also been screened at Idea Generation Gallery – we might put it out there if it gets a good reception. The book (and accompanying film) will be available for purchase at Idea Generation, some small independent bookshops like Beyond Words in Edinburgh and on Amazon.

Root Ginger: A Study of Red Hair by Jenny Wicks, is at Idea Generation Gallery from 17th February – 1st March 2009.

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SUSIE