In christianized Western civilization, depictions of naked male flesh have been so closely associated with evil that the only way a nude male body could be tolerated was if it was being abused, punished, or mutilated – a sort of sadomasochistic expiation of an unconscious guilt about merely having a body, whereas depictions of female nudity are culturally acceptable according to John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” because they provide opportunities for “acceptable” male possession whether in fact or desire.
My goal is to challenge contempt for the fully nude male figure, which is thought to be, at best, embarrassing and, at worst, indecent. My exploration involves placing homoerotic male nudes in intimate domestic locations, which engage the viewer either as voyeur or partner. The work is meant to challenge the viewer to examine their values and prejudices vis-a-vis intimacy and the nude male. My intent is to invite the viewer to confront their own beliefs and values about the naked body and to resolve for themselves the question of good and evil regarding nudity in general, and male nudity in particular, as well as provide a peacefully sensual way of drawing the viewer into a space that challenges heteronormative assumptions of male competition, and which demonstrates that same-sex relationships are wholesome, healthy and life-affirming.
