The Body Project, Part Two: Venus With Penis

Seeing within photography is shaped massively by the society in which the observer is present. Naturally when societal rule is determined by a patriarchal environment, this influences how gender is seen within the image. In a world where male dominance infiltrates fields such as the economy, politics and the arts, the disparity between the sexes will remain an omnipresent issue. Gender inequality has long plagued other artistic areas, and photography has proved no different. ‘The Body Project/Venus With Penis’ is an exploration of the classical nude, and how it historically sought to objectify the female body. Women were often portrayed as passive models, present for the pleasure of the white, heterosexual male as per the notion of ‘the male gaze’. I investigated the topic from ‘the female gaze’ perspective that turned these paintings on their head. I utilised a male model, and took inspiration from famous paintings such as ‘The Birth of Venus’, ‘La Fornarina’, and ‘The Rokeby Venus’. The resulting pieces were intended as a celebration of a modern and alternative way of looking, where both female and male are harmonious, and classical art paintings are reimagined to be inclusive of celebration and unity, as opposed to oppression and stereotypes. All images are colour large format, followed by cyanotypes. All styling, set design and prop design was undertaken by myself.