Hairpiece, Ayoka Chenzira (USA, 1985, 10mins) will be shown at the Tate Modern this weekend. Independent Frames is a survey of American experimental animation from the 1970s & 1980s curated by Herb Shellenberger.

Hairpiece is an animated satire on the question of self image for African American women living in a society where beautiful hair is viewed as hair that blows in the wind and lets you be free. Lively tunes and witty narration accompany a quick-paced inventory of relaxers, gels and curlers. Such rituals are all-too familiar to African American women-and indeed to all women confronted with an unattainable ideal of beauty.