Bob Recine. Alchemy of Beauty

Hairstylist Bob Recine approaches the head as an armature for sculpture.

The man behind some of the most avant-garde hairdos and head dresses worn by Lady Gaga, Recine has taken hair styling to incredibly creative heights-often literally, as he propels the braids and locks of his subjects into gravity-defying contours, augmenting them with sculptural gestures such as clumps of headphones or sunglasses, tendrils of Play-Doh and complex meshes of wire or cellophane. Starting out as an artist, Recine secured a project creating hairstyles and head ornaments for the windows of Henri Bendel.

His designs caught the eye of world-renowned hair stylist Jean Louis David, who offered him the opportunity to travel to Paris and hone his craft; four years later, Recine returned to New York, armed with a portfolio of innovative stylings for top photographers and magazines. Today Recine is a legend among A-list celebrities, having worked with Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, Naomi Watts, Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kate Hudson, Renée Zellweger, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, and Tilda Swinton. His talents have even returned him circuitously to the world of fine art, for his extensive collaborations with Vanessa Beecroft.

Alchemy of Beauty gathers original artwork by Recine, from photographs, sketches, collages and paintings to previously published and unpublished editorial images of his extraordinary sculpture and headdresses. Art direction for the volume is by Fabien Baron.