Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/831804
46 Local 706 hair stylist Bruce Samia translates his unique collage artwork into interior design elements like tiles, wallpaper and wearable art scarves. The entire collection is called "Fragments" and is "designed to awaken in your mind, a piece of a dream remembered, a thought passing, a quick turn of your head, a memory lost or a conversation once had … fragments of a moment in time." He is truly on the brink of creating a new trend in home decor. Sold online on his website and in boutique shops like the shop at FIDM and art festivals like the Brewery Art Walk and the Santa Barbara Art Festival, where Bruce usually takes a booth. Starting with his own photographic imagery and unique digital collaging techniques, Bruce creates imaginary landscapes making the artwork personal to his clients. He evolved these designs, on a friend's insistence, into wearable signature art scarves with a unique fabric printing process that permeates both sides of the sheer fabric. He then adapted his artwork for interior design ele- ments like tiles, wallpaper, home fabrics, linens, beach towels, dishes, cups and even lampshades. "Anything that can be printed on or silk-screened isn't safe. All my digital collages are prints. I create them all on the computer. The paper collages are done on paper and some are scanned at high resolution and then manipulated digitally. The scarves are also printed digitally using large indus- trial printers in order to get multiples." Bruce started his artistic journey at Vesper George School of Art in Boston. He then went on to take photography classes at the Massachusett School of Photography and then onto the Museum of Fine Arts' program in printmak- ing. He later "stumbled into hair styling about 35 years ago as a way to make a great living." He was sent to Miami on a photo shoot in 1992, "fell in love with Miami and the Caribbean, and returned to Boston to close that chapter of my life, quit my very lucrative salon career and returned to Miami. I spent two years working on my art and came up with my fi rst paper collage on wood series." He signed with an agency to do hair (and sometimes make-up) for catalogues, editorial campaigns and later on, he was brought in by a friend to help on a fi lm and was asked to join Local 798. "It was one of those Tony Soprano moments … I wrote a check and joined their membership. I worked on some fi lms and a lot of TV pilots. ABC picked one up and I was asked to come to LA to be Carla Gugino's "Star Request." I packed up my life (again) and drove to LA in 2003 and I became a member of Local 706." He has since worked on CSI: NY for 119 episodes, Cold Case for 30 episodes and Westworld for 10 episodes. Some of the challenges he now faces growing his company is to get the work out there to the general public and retail-store buyers. Self-fi nanced sample pieces are expensive and fi nding real "silent" investors is not easy. The 10-year plan is to continue working hand-in-hand with interior designers and art afi cio- nados making custom designs for their homes. Making digital collages available for everyone. Typical lead times from design to fi nal product is usually anywhere from two to six weeks depending on the particular project. Currently, the best way to buy his artwork is through the website: www.brucesamia.com • Artwork by Bruce Samia B Y D A N I E L C U R E T J O U R N E Y M A N H A I R S T Y L I S T