SQUAD, 2004

Archival digital print
60 x 60 cm

Portrait of a squaddie. Fascinated by the symbolism of hair, Kate photographed members of 454 squadron at Aldershot immediately after their hair had been cut to the army's regulation length; here, the shaving of a head, which in the Bible story 'Samson and Delilah' symbolises the sapping of masculine strength, becomes a badge of macho culture. The resulting uniformity in their appearance signifies the men's potency “their strength in numbers“ and the loss of their own identity, crucial to instilling in them a sense of camaraderie and collective responsibility.

Exhibited
MA Sculpture Degree Show, Royal College of Art, London (2004)