VMAN - 'Silver Lining' 2019

Photographer Chris Sutton latest project Silver Lining delves into "a new male beauty", one that can bend, change and be flexible. The portraits and 3D images by Black Cube depict an untouched perspective of something close to raw, and maybe, uncomfortable. One model holds his head in his hands, possibly indicating the high rates of depression and suicides amongst young males. Another shows a model with Alexander McQueen metal spikes piercing through his ear lobes, he shows his darkened teeth and mouth in a snarl. A nod to toxic masculinity, especially relevant right now. Which is why Sutton compares his subjects to the metal they wear: as a material that can be turned into a more desirable shape. "That we ourselves can be flexible enough to be moulded into something better, to see the positive in difficulty and still be strong enough to keep our core integrity intact," he says.