Art has long reflected societal norms and values through representations of the human form. This project stimulates conversation around photography’s historical and contemporary intersection with gender representation and expression, particularly within the context of nude photography, by creating male nudes emulating classic female nude photographs from Weston to Newton.

Globally, we are experiencing an evolving paradigm shift in the understanding and acceptance of diverse gender identities. Juxtaposing female and male nudes in the same poses and similar lighting, raises questions about stereotypical portrayals of masculinity and femininity in photography—and their influence.

By generally posing the female form as passive to submissive, photographers not only reveal their own stereotypical views, but project them on their contemporaries and forward to future generations.

The comparisons in this project unveil how the same physical postures elicit different emotional responses, and biases, when embodied by different genders.

Started in 2022, my project explores issues such as:
• What is beauty in the male form?
• Does the presence of male body hair and/or genitals distract—or threaten —and for whom?
• Do photographs of men in the same “feminine” poses make men appear soft, submissive, vulnerable?
• Why are male nudes labeled “homoerotic” when created by men but not nudes made by women photographers from Bernhard to Leibovitz.
• Is the male nude as pleasing as the female—and for whom?
• Why is the male form revealed more for its differences than similarities to the female?
• Are all female nudes sexual objects to be played as in Man Ray’s portrait of Kiki de Montparnasse? Does the equivalent photograph of a male evoke the same response?
• Beyond pose, lighting and form, what conscious or subconscious comparisons, are evoked by male nudes juxtaposed with female nudes?

I will design one—or more—means of capturing responses to the exhibition for a book and/or multi-media presentation.

I hope to contribute to an ongoing conversation about identity and the reframing of our understanding of masculinity and femininity in an emerging era of gender fluidity, non-binary, and evolving LGBTQ+ expressions. This direct comparison of the female and male forms in photographic art challenges viewers emotional responses and—perhaps—to think differently about both forms.

It is a journey towards a more inclusive and nuanced appreciation of the human form.

The grant funding will defray model costs and acquire copyright permissions as necessary for a book.

I haven’t decided on the print size or number of prints for an exhibition of photographs. The attached images show the comparisons side by side for the book part of the project which I envision as something intimate, about 7x7 or 8x8 in size with 30 to 40 pairings. A problem yet to be resolved will be how to present the historical images at an exhibition, certainly not as original prints, perhaps as a pamphlet, small reproduction from a book, show catalog or projected images. I intend to video record responses at the opening exhibition which will then be edited into a multi-media presentation.