Interview with Marcel Dagenais
Tell us who you are and what you do?
My name is Marcel Dagenais. I live in Brooklyn and have a last name that people don’t know how to pronounce. I’m a hair department head for the shows Russian Doll and Broad City to name a couple, but I also make art in my free time.
How did you come up with the idea of the friendettes?
It all started with a blank wall in my apartment that I wanted to fill with polaroids. I’ve been doing hair in New York City for 16 years, so I have a ton of bins filled with wigs from my previous jobs. My initial thought was to take portraits of my friends in a wig whenever they came over, but I found that kinda boring, so I started stacking multiple wigs to create something more visually interesting. Since the wigs covered their faces and created anonymity, I realized it gave people a platform to say whatever they wanted. That’s when I decided to make friendettes a thing. It’s cool because some of the people under those wigs are recognizable, but no one would ever know. As a friendette, people can say whatever they want without any consequences. With everyone being a personal brand these days, it’s freeing to have a space to be completely anonymous, in my opinion.
Can you tell us about these sculptures?
I was cleaning out a closet a while back and found this little 3D printed bust of myself that a friend had made for me years ago. That gave me the idea to make miniature sculptures inspired by the portraits I had been taking. I grew up making things with polymer clay, so since I had an understanding of that particular medium, I thought it would be perfect for creating the tiny hair strands. Plus, there’s an endless amount of colors. Figuring out how to create the busts for these was a whole other challenge, but with some trial and error, I came up with a process to cast plaster molds from that original bust I had found. It’s all pretty time consuming, but I find it super meditative.
What is a friendette?
Friendettes are everyone. I like to think that they’re a little more woke than anything. Usually they share a thought with me concerning their views of our current political situation, but sometimes they just give insight into the mundane thoughts they’ve had on their mind. Either way, they’re just people with a variety of identities and expressions.
Are their any sculptors you look towards for inspiration?
Not necessarily any particular sculptors, but I love Shoplifter’s work. Dig the way she plays with color and texture.
What is currently inspiring your work and life?
Color. I’m constantly noticing random color combinations in the graffiti I see on the side of the road, to a photograph I come across. I always have my eye out for inspiration I could use on future friendettes. Some colors bring out more joy than others, but the process of discovering those feelings is the fun part for me. Sometimes I start a friendette sculpture unsure of a certain color combo I’ve chosen, but am pleasantly surprised with how it looks when it’s finished. A block of clay looks very different once it’s sculpted into something.
How have you been coping during this quarantine?
Some days I’m fine, other days I’m not. This whole situation is pretty fucked. I’m sad for people losing their jobs or even worse their family members, or friends. It’s a lot to process. I was used to being pretty busy before all this went down, but now all I have is time. I tend to lean more on the hermit side, so I’ve embraced this quarantine, but I still do need my social time. I just really miss my people; makes me realize how important all my relationships are.
Anything you’re currently obsessed with?
I’m doing a lot of research for an upcoming show I’m supposed to start this fall, so a lot of Fellini films, for sure. I’m also obsessed with Helle Mardahl’s work. I love the colors she uses in her pieces. I want to collect them all. My friend Trish Andersen is also a big inspiration for me. Her work is really dope. And my bmx bike. It’s been a real savior to get out and get some fresh air during all this.
Can you just elaborate on what Fellini films?
City of Women really resonates with me. The message of misogyny is still very relevant today.
Top 5 Movie Hair Styles of all time?
This is a hard one. There are so many good ones. Any movie with Faye Dunaway in the sixties and seventies. Her hair looks perfect in every scene. But, if I had to choose 5, I’d say Susan Sarandon’s wild red wig in Witches of Eastwick, Kirsten Dunst’s powdered hairdos in Marie Antoinette, all the late seventies roller sets in Eyes of Laura Mars, the classic fifties set and style of Bette Davis in All About Eve and Mia Farrow’s Vidal Sassoon short haircut in Rosemary’s Baby. Those ones stick out in my mind.
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