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Posted by Dan on May 06, 19103 at 10:17:42:
Would some of you be interested in carrying on high-level exchanges
about the possible meanings of visual representation(s) of the
unclothed male body? I'm in earnest. Admittedly, the subject is taboo-
laden. Attempts have been made to launch such discussion at other
other e-forums. But prurience and/or prudery keep
disrupting. My hope is that the "climate" here
will be more conducive to serious consideration.
It is my conviction that portrayals of men's embodiment--not only (of
course), but especially when uncovered--disclose much that is
otherwise obscured. By scrutinizing such imagery, I believe there's a
great deal to be learned about how men perceive/think/feel about
themselves. Likewise, much is revealed about men's involvements
with, and attachments to, each other, women, and children, as well as
within the contexts of the larger human and natural environments. The subject
could be talked about from a general theoretical angle and/or with an
eye on particular examples.
By "visual representation," I have in mind the products and/or performances
of any practice within the fine arts or m communications. So, included
could be just about everything from painting, sculpture, and ballet
to photography, advertising, and motion pictures--to mention only a
few among the many other relevant means of depiction and enactment.
It seems to me this entire field of inquiry is largely uncultivated.
Since the "second wave" of feminism, an enormous amount of energy,
erudition, and imagination rightly have been invested in exploring
the purposes and implications of the varied means of representing
women's bodies. But, aside from a few notable exceptions, the ways in
which men's bodies are viewed in both elite and m cultures remain
mostly ignored.
Frankly, I'd be eager to discuss just about any facet of this
subject. But, I'm particularly interested in the hows and whys of
those affirming and challenging interpretations of men's bodies which
deviate from the norms prevailing at the time of their creation.
So, in our day, for instance, the bodies of middle-aged or older men,
working cl or poor men, white-collar men, men of color or
"evident" ethnicity, female-to-male s, the bodies of men at
rest or engaged in playful activities, men with "unheroic" or
"unglamorous" bodies (thin or fleshy, naturally hairy or hairless,
with "disabilities" or disfirgurements...) strike me as particularly
telling.
I am an artist, with an education in philosophy, working in the
mental health field. One of my online profiles may be viewed at http://profiles.yahoo.com/heis I
am founder of Visualizing the Man ociation. Althought one
of the online operations sponsored by VtNM is a written dialogue site
[ http://groups.msn.com/SpotlightingtheMale ], I can't help but
wonder if it might be particularly enlightening to talk about matters
such as these within the "milieu" of this meeting place.
Dan