While we are constantly bombarded with messages that being young is beautiful, we often overlook one small fact: that growing old is beautiful too.
Photojournalist Robbie Kaye learned this for herself when she set out to do a photo project on the charming, older ladies who get their hair done at a beauty salon in Los Angeles. While she intended her project to be a humorous take, it soon took on a life of its own, forcing Kaye to gain a new perspective on aging.
“I saw so much more,” Kaye said. “I felt I needed to portray their dignity.”
Funnily enough, Kaye’s upcoming 50th milestone birthday was what inspired her to photograph women in their 70s and older. She then spent the next few years taking pictures and interviewing these women in salons all across the United States.
“The more I photographed, the more denial I had to strip away from my own ideals and vanity and face the reality that I, too, if the powers that be allow, will be aging as well,” the 53-year-old said.
In an interview with Mashable, Kaye explained her experience by saying: “I saw the faces of women who have weathered many storms and supported many people through trials and tribulations. They fought for all of us, to expand our culture that still is so very focused on the beauty of youth and all that is ‘obviously’ beautiful.”
When Kaye finished her project, she published her work in a book called “Beauty and Wisdom.” In doing so, the photojournalist hopes to “change the perception of how we look at beauty, and that it’s not exclusively for youth.”
Kaye is currently shooting a documentary which features her interviews with the women in her photos. In the film, Kaye reveals some of her most memorable experiences and puts the focus on the beauty of age.
You can view more of Kaye’s “Beauty and Wisdom” project on her website.
Aging is beautiful:
