The idea that as humans we have what for me is the unique ability to associate one thing with another is an easy one to understand in the case of a photography book in my collection called Madonna Nudes – 1979 by Martin Hugo Maximilian Schreiber (Taschen 1979). 

There are three nudes in the collection that reveal the fact that in 1979 Madonna did not shave under her arms and that her hair in the Lower Countries was a neat black. Some people were shocked by this.

It would seem that some thought that underarm hair would make women less feminine and more smelly. 

In 1989 I had a show that featured at least 16 women in tubs. One of them was Caroline Matthews who did not shave her underarm hair. An in 1989 the Brazilian had yet to come into popularity. Hair grew elsewhere, naturally.

I remember having an argument with my Rosemary who thought that Caroline’s hair was disgusting. I attempted to tell her that the custom of women shaving their hair up there was just a custom. We could adapt and perhaps even see the beauty of it.

In this 21^st century, at least 20 years past the popularity of the Brazilian method of removing “unwanted” hair from down there is perhaps in the wane.