bare witness
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Dates2017 - Ongoing
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Author
- Topics Portrait, Contemporary Issues, Fine Art
- Location Colorado, United States
I am seen, and that has ultimatley shaped how I see the world. My work explores the power dynamic behind the gaze - what it reveals, and what it does not.
Human connection is an essential part of our existence. Research shows that individuals with social capital and community ties are the happiest so it’s no surprise that we seek to be part of something beyond ourselves. Yet, even with all our technological advances and information about human behavior the relationships between men and women are still complicated. I wanted to explore the path of connections between men and women, how we see each other, the power dynamics, and how instinctual sexuality is still very much at the root of coupling.
Imagery of women near nude or nude is everywhere in our daily encounters with media, yet men are a more scarce commodity. In contrast, on dating apps, men seem quite eager to share imagery of their bodies. I found this fascinating and opted to ask men to pose for me nude before given the chance to send m e something of their own creation. The result is a series of images that begins to reveal and unravel men and their sexuality, but it also calls into focus the dynamic of gaze, the distribution of power and the evolution of intimacy.