Toxic Masculinity is a narrow and repressive description of manhood as defined by violence and sex, status and aggression. It is the cultural ideal of manliness, where strength is everything while emotions are weakness, where sex and brutality are yardsticks by which men are measured, while supposedly “feminine traits” — which can range from emotional vulnerability to simply not being hypersexual are means by which your status as “man” can be taken away.
What I wanted to achieve in this project is to explore the idea that the teachings of toxic masculinity can be seen not as human beings but as objects. Using the idea that men are more of a statuesque presence with no emotion.
By means of motion blur, portrait photography and the use of statues, I experimented with and juxtaposed these techniques to incorporate my creativity into this theme. Moreover, the use of motion blur was also used to convey how movement can break off the statuesque presence when we listen to the teachings of toxic masculinity.
Toxic Masculinity can lose an identity by truly becoming someone you are truly not.
It is hard to show who you truly are when you are being judged. Not being able to express how we feel and make us not human but rather statues as presented to society.
It is time to take off the mask of toxic masculinity and break off the statuesque presence to be more natural and human.
