About a week ago Barbara Earl-Thomas came and visited the Cornish art department in a lecture and discussion about the way we react and treat ideas of race and ethnicity. In her segment she brought up a specific idea which I believe really hits home with the current project I am working on. During the night Barbara brought up the idea of how we look at people and immediately create a stereotype reaction to the person, changing the way we talk to and interact with that person solely based on the way they look. Basically Barbara was bringing up the old proverb "don't read a book by its cover" which connects perfectly with the way people read those who chose to wear beards and extravagant facial hair. When one sees a person with a beard they are immediately filled with a predisposed set of ideas about that person whether it be thinking of that person as wise or a bum. The beard serves many different faces in society and people choose to treat people differently depending on the specific face. Barbara ultimately taught us to look past our initial gut reaction and see people for who they are rather than how they look.
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