Photography & Style:
Male Nudity and the Realities of War.
by: Jay Dezelic
There are two areas of photography that are especially void
in America. The subjects of sans-macho male nudity and the realities
of war are considered taboo for most photographic artists. Before
the invention of photography, painters recorder and interpreted
life through art. Photography is just another medium for recording
and sharing non-verbal concepts. War and male nudity are very
different subjects, but they share the same resulting suppression
of truth.
With war, there is a blatant and intentional governing force
that keeps the raw realities of individual death (of allied soldiers)
out of the media. - It's just bad for the business of war if
people really knew what happens on the battlefield. If all were
witness to the harshness and finality of war, it would sway popular
opinion and quash the machines of war. Conversely, women are
photographically so overly objectified in contrast to men that
it makes one wonder if any progress in equality of the sexes
has been made. Gallery after gallery display women in every
possible suggestive position and camera angle (sans clothes of
course). The graphic exposure of women's genitalia is so common
place now that someone visiting from another planet would get
the impression that women solely existed for the pleasure of
men.
Almost everyone who has first hand experience in the horrors
of war, never wants it repeated. Finding that the heavily marketed
glory of the freedom fight turns out to be nothing but a ruse,
veterans of previous wars are often the most outspoken critics
against war. - They know the truth first hand. Photographers
are legally sequestered in the US from showing war in an unfavorable
light. - This is media-supported propaganda. Society obliviously
accepts the non-truth about war because the image-makers don't
reveal it.
Through contrived societal conditioning (consumer marketing),
the sexes have become very polarized. Girly girls and manly
men adorn the halls of galleries and modern art exhibits. In
reality, the sexes are not as different as depicted in modern
photography. Real life women can be tough and strong while men
can be effeminate and soft. Both sexes have similar desires and
visual fantasies about the other. Yet, women have largely become
subservient to the desires of men without retribution in the
art field. This lopsided view of reality is becoming as serious
as the issue of negligence in the truth about war. Whenever
society beliefs are artificially altered for the benefit of a
one group, the resulting tension eventually explodes into war.
The whole women are from Venus and men from Mars thing is largely
just marketing. - We are all really from earth and have very
similar tendencies and desires when left uninfluenced.
What you don't see in almost any mainstream art display that
shows nude women are nude men in similar context. Why not?
Why are the visual desires of women suppressed? Maybe there is
an underlying fear in the art world that by showing provocative
nudes of the male figure will make men subservient to women?
After all, most artists and photographers are men. For many
women, it would be primordialy more interesting to see those
high-contrast artsy black and whites of men posed openly, suggestively,
or even submissively. The fact that showing softly posed images
of the nude male form with an erection is taboo, while close
up photos of breasts with erect nipples and sexually poised female
genitalia is common art. Today's body of modern photography
subscribes to a de facto double standard and worse, skews the
truth about human sexuality in art for both sexes. As a man,
my primordial instinct drives me to prefer to view women in art
than other men. But, I can assume the opposite must be true
for most women. Although, through centuries of male domination,
I would suspect that the women's outward desires to view the
male body form in the same light that men desire to view women
is a bit suppressed.
In summary, if you want to be an honest war photographer,
capture both the glory and misery of war. Someday, your work
may be the fundamental imagery that prevents war. If you specialize
in capturing images of human sexuality, then present an accurate
representation of your subject so that it captures the essence
of the sexes but doesn't loose site of the unilateral desires
of each.
Why is it important? Most artists are just followers of great
masters who are the influential spirits that sculpt creativity
and expression for society. Regrettably for all, the masters
have failed to lead in conscience. The building of barriers and
differences between people leads to disparity. One side always
ends up wanting what the other side has. Inequality is the basis
for all conflict. Imagery artisans (especially photographers)
have the ability to convey both truth and lies in the body of
their works. Society has largely and superficially accepted
men to be the dominant sex over women. Men have what women want
- governing power. But, women have what men want - influential
power. Separation of how we portray the sexes creates societal
tension. If both sexes enjoyed governing power and influential
power together, perhaps the world would be a more peaceful place.
About The Author:Jay Dezelic is a fashion designer for jdez.com
- a manufacturer of unique and comfortable informal wear for
men and women. Additionally, Jay is a freelance fashion model
who's unique portfolio could be seen at http://www.jdez.com/models/jaydezelic
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