ArtBridge brings local art to Roosters barbershop

The first thing one notices upon walking into Roosters barbershop on 518 Tremont Street is the smell; this place smells like your grandfather. The combination of the green walls, black ceiling, wooden furniture and the overwhelming scent of after-shave all contribute to the atmosphere of an old-school barbershop. Roosters, however, is anything but that.

Roosters is part of the larger Regis Franchise, which also encompasses businesses such as Supercuts and Cost Cutters. It was founded in 1999 by Joe Grondin, whose goal was to step back in time and re-establish the traditional men’s grooming center. The About page on the Roosters website states, “as men’s style changed, the unisex craze swept across America and barbershops almost disappeared. Men’s options for getting a haircut changed over time and men started going to salons that were devoid of everything they enjoyed about getting a haircut.”

The top 40 playlist playing in the shop deviates uncharacteristically from its general atmosphere. Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" (2015), which is also the theme song for E! News’ show "Fashion Police" (2002 - present), is playing from the speakers in a markedly current-day fashion. The background noise of buzzcuts and Boston accents also add to the soundtrack. A baseball game is playing, although it is unclear who is watching since customers are in front of the mirror and talking to their barbers about their latest trip to Chinatown or the family dinner they attended the previous night. In addition to the TV, art lines the walls but no one seems to be paying it any attention either.

After the owner of Roosters in Boston, Tyson White, attended a fundraising event that featured the Boston Center for the Arts’ artistic platforms, he reached out to the BCA to collaborate with its affiliated artists. He was introduced to artist Robert Rovenolt through the ArtBridge program, and eventually an exhibition of Rovenolt's work was put into place at Roosters. The ArtBridge program works to give artists a platform to exhibit their work at local businesses.

Robert Rovenolt’s work incorporates a mixture of materials such as wood, metal, ceramic, leather and acrylic. In addition to these materials, Rovenolt includes playful collages within the frame. In his artist statement, available online at the BCA's website, he says of his materials “I usually don’t actively look for these sources but rather let them find me.” His art displayed at Roosters portrays his exploratory method of adding and assembling. The pieces chosen for this shop reflect the purpose of the place -- scissors are featured in one piece -- but others incorporate the horse from the Mustang car logo and another features ships and sailors. These pieces accentuate the pervasive masculine atmosphere of the shop.

The pieces are also extremely small -- hardly noticeable, actually. Instead, the giant mirrors display who the customers are really there to see: themselves. Maybe from the corner of their eye a customer will see the frame that holds Rovenolt’s work and be compelled to walk over and examine it closely after their haircut.

However, the customers are really what are on display here. The frame is the mirror that displays their faces, held within the confines of that rectangular-looking glass. It is inevitable that the customers all leave looking similar: with shorter hair. The exploratory and contemplatative art by Rovenolt that is exhibited seems ironic due to the predictability of the haircut produced by the barber. What are Rovenolt's complex pieces doing here other than building off of the already apparent masculinity that defines this place? Is it because barbershops are meant to evoke reflection? Even if that is the case, Rovenolt’s thought-provoking pieces inevitably seem to end up being ignored, as customers reflect on themselves rather than looking at the smaller frames on display nearby.

Rooster's Men's Grooming Center is located at 518 Tremont St #1b, Boston, Mass., 02118.  They are open Monday - Thursday from 10:00 a.m. - 7: 30 p.m., Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. They can be reached by phone at (857) 305-3106 and online.