There is something dangerous about a man that allows himself to be vulnerable. Men’s sexuality is either represented as dominant or protected with layers of irony. If they’re not gay, they’re behaving like women, and therefore a joke.
The men in the paintings were selected from anonymous websites dedicated to sex. Some of them advertise an Only Fans, others don’t. Their nudity is presented as a tag line, an invitation for casual cyber intimacy, or validating words.
There is an honesty and sensitivity to their images. They want you to see them and accept them. Their act of exposure eliminates the need for a masculine performance. Masculinity and femininity are a spectrum, and the men in these paintings defy any one compartmentalization.
In the work, their nude forms are protected by careening and undulating florals. The petals and pistils are the same scale as they are, like cherubs emerging from the heavens. Simply, these flowers investigate healing or softening. More formally, the flowers represent a greater parasocial relationship. Lilies, gladiolas, and coneflowers inhabit personal settings and negotiate the terms “native” and “invasive”.
