Masculinities: Liberation Through Photography

Barbican

£17.00

13 JULY - 23 AUGUST

2020 has seen the rise of many things, starting with the obvious VIRUS, the Black Lives Matter movement following the brutal murder of George Floyd, and the fact that we got rid of the most ridiculous president ever to have stepped foot in the White House. It is unsurprising, then, in this time of modern turmoil, that the gender movement has also had a large upheaval. In the same year that JK Rowling declared that a woman could only feasibly be defined as someone who menstruates, the Barbican took on an exhibition that explored the construct of masculinity, and the diverse ways this is experienced and portrayed in the modern world.

There is no doubt that what we once considered masculine has changed considerably over recent history and remains wildly different across many modern cultures. Typically, masculinity has revolved around physical strength, size, aggression and capital. The richer, the bigger, the scarier the man: the more masculine he becomes. However, change spanning from the 60’s has begun to loosen the noose tied firmly around these gender definitions, with sexual revolution and class struggles showing the masculinity of not only the homosexual community, but working-class community too. Today we have been through movements such as ‘MeToo’, which expose toxic masculinity and rich, physically large, aggressive men as the enemy. In an age of gaslighting and exploitative power, this exhibition calls for a new take on masculinity: one of inclusivity, equality and diversity.

One of the first works that caught my eye, was a group of photos of Taliban fighters, photographed by Thomas Dworzak in Afghanistan. In these images, the men are seen heavily made-up and posing with flowers, both traditionally feminine accessories in the Western world. The feminine imagery is contrasted with the weapons they are holding, making the images both shocking and intriguing. These photographs reminded me of the animal kingdom, where the male is decorated; accessorised; beautiful – the females meanwhile, remaining quite bland. The human world is typically the only space where the female is valued predominantly on their beauty: their appearance used to entice a male and secure a mate. Of course, this varies culture to culture, with the East typically asking women to mask areas of beauty, such as their bodies or their hair. Instead, the female may be measured on other features such as family wealth, or the ability to procreate.

Following from this is a series of images of Portuguese bullfighters, hair askew, blood stained, with ripped clothes. Again, their delicately brocaded outfits hint at a femininity, but this, like the soldiers in Afghanistan and their guns, is overpowered by the symbols of violence that dominate. The exhibition goes on to explore different representations of African American men through the white male gaze. A series of public adverts were stripped of their descriptions and wording, leaving only the images to tell a story. It is clear to see here that the black male is consistently represented as a criminal, gangster, or hypersexual being – therefore reinforcing problematic stereotypes of race, gender and class that already surround these men.

The exhibition then injects the man into the family. A series of six different family photos see the same man posing with them – he seems to slot comfortably into each image, leaving you guessing which one, if any, he is part of. These images sparke ideas of the absent father, as well as the different connection of a man to his children over a woman: for example, the woman always being the preferred caregiver/given custody if the situation is appropriate. This should be seen as a disadvantage to the male but is often celebrated as a newfound freedom or ability for a second chance at life. Once again, the patriarchy winning.

Overall, the exhibition covered a lot of ground, it was diverse, inclusive and highlighted the nuances of masculinity across different cultures and time periods. Some of the works were better than others, but not one part of the exhibition felt overdone or too laborious. If you don’t want to get bogged down in the Barbican’s often nonsensical and largely pretentious descriptions, then just don’t read them. Come with your own gaze to this timely and important exhibition and leave with your own judgement and opinions on what it means.

OVERALL RATING: ****

https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2020/event/masculinities-liberation-through-photography