Follicle Stimulation & the Multiverse

There is much with which to contend at the Bank Gallery this Saturday evening. I of course refer to the fact that the space is playing host to one Fritz Hats who, for all his labors in other areas, has yet to exhibit artistically. And in spite of the fact of this event and the support of his peers, it should perhaps be noted that Hats still refuses to consider himself an artist in the traditional sense. "All art can do—and all it is supposed to do--is point out the juxtaposition between superficiality and infinity," he recently observed over water, soup, and a burrito. "I've always been interested in the seemingly extreme paradox, the paradox so extreme that we no longer view it as paradox." While eschewing the title of artist, Hats admits he feels comfortable being described as a fundamentalist Christian and a quantum physicist.

PPIF: Why Follicle Stimulation & the Multiverse?

FH: Because the phenomenon of follicle stimulation as an industry (the literal stimulation of hair, hair re-growth, hair grafting) and our investment in it illustrates the pretty solid scientific theory concerning the existence of other realities, something akin to what Einstein calls "spooky action at a distance." It's all around us.


PPIF: Are these realities observable?


FH: (laughs) The observer can only ride one reality at a time, but this doesn’t mean that a person can’t traverse the multiverse and somehow spiritually evolve. I'd say it's what we all desire, but many of us spend years doing it very badly.


PPIF: Our immortality projects.


FH: Exactly--wait--I mean...Exactamundo.


PPIF: How does the universality of this desire show up in our craving for technology?


FH: I'd say I'm fully convinced that modern technology (a smart phone, for instance) is a singularity device. And it's becoming obvious to everyone that the desire to stay in constant contact reveals our deep desire to live eternally. It might be a Tower of Babel, but the desire isn't anything to be ashamed of. When we come clean with it, we might even crave less crazily, learn to joke about it even. When we can't joke, we're pretty well done for.


PPIF: One thing I love about talking to you is the way you casually refuse the popular distinctions between religion and science. It's like you don't even know you're doing it. Could you comment on that?


FH: Faith and science are closer than any brothers, no mutual exclusivity between them, they fulfill one another. Science came not to abolish faith but to fulfill it.




Follicle Stimulation & the Multiverse will occur as part of the Art Crawl this Saturday night at the Bank Gallery which is located at 226 Third Avenue North in downtown Nashville. At 10:00, the band most commonly referred to as Bulb will perform preceded by one Will Marsh.