MANHOOD
BFA Thesis Exhibition
Grunwald Gallery of Art, April 2018
Manhood depicts an internal struggle to reconcile the conflict between Christianity and homosexuality within the self. The photographs in this series depict a search for common ground between these seemingly incompatible cultures. Light, gesture, and pose combine to express the frustration, discomfort, and desire for absolution that affect the Christian faithful who are also gay.
Spiritual conflicts born of a desire for spiritual perspective are dramatized in the white images. These are conversations with both the self and with God, which can be either self-deprecating or divinely consoling.
Fear of judgement and ridicule inform the red photographs. These depict the desire to find a place for homosexuality within traditional Christian values, and express a physical determination to reconcile opposing forces within oneself. Despite the severity of the photographs, a sense of resilience remains to remind that this struggle is not in vain.