2021
Acrylic, charcoal and spray paint on board
1400mm (H) x 1200mm (W)
Unframed
In our culture, the physical sense of manliness is central to the cultural interpretation of gender. Masculine gender is a certain feel to the skin, certain muscular shapes and tensions, certain postures and ways of moving.
"Bodily experience is often central in memories of our own lives, and thus in our understanding of who and what we are." (Connell, 1999)
My practice is a continued investigation into how masculine identity is formed, developed and expressed in the world. But also, how others perceive, react and respond to this ‘Masculine Performance’ by unpacking how and why men learn, then propagate and perpetuate ideas of masculinity throughout their life. The works address the burden of masculinity, the burden bound up in the collective practice of performing masculinity: loneliness, depression, violence, conspicuous over-consumption and the propensity for risk-taking.
The performance of the painter becomes critical but how can this performance be calibrated to celebrate the potential of the medium while avoiding it being a simplistic celebration of all things male? What can paint contribute to the content of the work and, more specifically, how can paint represent and embody those notions, rather than merely re-presenting observed action via a photo referent.