As an offshoot of 'Check out these guns', I'm starting work on what will probably be an ongoing project typologizing different male body types. I recently learned about an obscure and discredited psychological theory called 'constitutional psychology' developed by William Herbert Sheldon in the 1940s. According to Sheldon there are three different categories of male body types- or somatypes- the ectomorph- skinny and long limbed, the mesomorph- big boned and muscular, and endomorph- overweight and perhaps jolly. How a man behaves and how society perceives him is based primarily on his somatype. Though the theory has many flaws, it speaks to some of the ideas I began exploring in 'Check out these guns' surrounding male body image issues. I disagree with Sheldon's essentialist claims that a man's body type predetermines his personality, but I do agree that body type plays a huge role in shaping personality in relation to cultural standards of masculinity and performance. The theory also ignores men who don't easily fit into one category (i.e skinny and muscular) or whose 'constitution' changes (i.e gains or looses weight).
(As an interesting side note, Sheldon amassed a huge collection of nude photos of Yale undergrads while researching his theory. The photos have sadly been destroyed to protect certain people who now run the country. [ reference ] )
So, while constitutional psychology is problematic for many reasons, the ideas it explores carry much photographic potential. Always a willing model, my friend Bayne agreed to pose shirtless this past weekend at the Middlesex Fells reservation for some test shots using E-6 (transparency) film...
I really love what the transparency film does for the colors, making them almost hyper-realistic. I will probably continue shooting with this kind of film, Fuji Velvia 100. My friend Joanna was also with us and so I got some shots of her and Bayne together- a totally different set of images intended perhaps for an as yet undefined project...
2 comments:
I think my favorite is 12.jpg. The composition and negative space work in an animated way. Should I have tried to bring the energy of this pose to more of the other shots? The color of the sky is amazing-the slide film really captures it. I think I already mentioned this to you but the trees play with the scale of the images nicely. Have you thought about giving them individual titles?
I think that each shot says something different. The energy you brought to each was unique and works for that photograph. I am really drawn to 006- I like the monolithic quality, and 001 for it's vulnerability.
I think the titles will come to me as the project evolves.
Post a Comment