photos: Alicia Kassebohm
“I’ve been wearing my beard for about seven years now nonstop. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Actually, the effect it has is completely secondary to me – overall my beard gives me safety and protection. In fact it feels like a pair of fluffy socks or a cuddly pullover: though it is not essential, I feel more at ease and peaceful with it.”
Photographer and visual designer Alicia Kassebohm has been working on her ongoing photo series Beardicted now for over a year making very special beard portraits of interesting men. Every beard is unique, that’s why all of the portraits have an individual styling. For iHeartBerlin she let’s the men behind the beards speak about the fetishized extra hair in their faces. Enjoy the first part of our new series The Beard Monologues with Sascha from FluxFM and more photos after the jump.
Metaphorically speaking one might say that a shaved face would be an exclamation mark, whereas a beard would be more like a dot or in a way a question mark. Of course I am aware of the cliché-ridden impact, but primarily it is all about my own well-being.
Apparently the effect of a beard is limited to a prejudice just like all superficial things. If one associates positive attributes with beards, one will find a positive human being. On the other hand, someone with a negative feeling about beards won’t find something beyond that prejudice. For my part, I meet lots of people, who sense my beard as an enlargement of character and thus not as an artificial accessory. All in all I can state that beards engage someones sympathy and in a way radiate a restrained authority. And who doesn’t fancy with that role?
My favorite bearded men are: Sam Beam, Matt Berninger, Javier Bardem (when he wears a beard). Karl Marx, Mads Mikkelsen, Oliver Everett, Walt Whitman (and hence all mottled grey beards of old wise men, who have proven that they are).
Once I had a great beard moment in a bar. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. As I turned around to look, a deep voice spoke to me: Well, aren’t you a cute little bear. Names and places won’t be revealed.
Interview & Photos: Alicia Kassebohm
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Alicia Kassebohm is a freelance photographer and communication design student at the Institude of Design Berlin. Last year she won the 3rd place of the Deutscher Jugendfotopreis. For iHeartBerlin she talks with interesting men about their goregous beards. If you are interested in getting your special beard portrait taken by Alicia feel free to get in touch with her at a.kassebohm@me.com.
More info: www.aliciaka.com
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