Unity - STEVEN R. TABOR

Unity

What symbolizes our common destiny?

For this series, bodyscapes were made of a model, Solivagant, who has dreadlocks and is wearing tropical beads. The connection between the beads, the dreads and the different parts of her body are emphasized in the poses and the framing of the images.

Dreadlocks, by their very nature, depict the coming together of hair on the human head. The history of dreadlocks is deeply rooted in culture, spirituality and self-expression. This iconic hairstyle has become a symbol of resistance, freedom and a celebration of diversity.

Tropical beads are worn to make a statement about beliefs that are commonly held by a community or a tribe. In most tribes, tribes, beads embody beauty, tradition or culture, strength, marital status, age, power and warrior-hood. Different colors hold specific meanings: red often signifies life and vitality, white represents purity and spirituality, blue is associated with protection, and green symbolizes fertility and growth.

The body can also be thought of, mechanically, as a unified combination of its separate, constituent parts. But the female body also symbolizes a special form of dynamic unity, in that it reproduces and gives rise to future generations, one after another. The body is, in this sense, the glue which ties past and future generations to one another, and places unity at the center of civilization. By bringing together dreads, beads and images of a female body, this series intends to emphasize the importance of “unity” as a symbol of the shared human experience.

If you would like to see the full series, download the PDF photobook here.