Bare Men: The Group Showis a group photography exhibition celebrating all expressions of the male nude ranging from the classical to the erotic. Bare Men: The Group Show, curated by Abigail Ekue, will open to the public on September 30, 2019 and run through October 4, 2019 at The Living Gallery. The Opening Artist's Reception will be held on October 1, 2019. A press preview will be held on September 29. The group exhibit features 32 artists sharing their own appreciation and vision of the male nude.
Curatorial Statement:
Since the dawn of my Bare Men series, I've been working to end the taboo of the male nude -- full-frontal, all bodies, erections -- and the men who inhabit those bodies. What draws me to nudes is how much of a person's spirit we're shown.
For Bare Men: The Group Show, I invited and selected photographers whose work was intimate, delicate, raw, erotic, evocative. The work I was drawn to was work that took my breath away. Photographers who are daring, pushing boundaries or those that are elevating the classic nude tropes.
I chose photography as the sole medium for this show because it is the most censored when it comes to the male nude.
When I'm working with men for my Bare Men series or with private clients, I love the process of seeing them strip the armor of "being a man" in society. They are free to express their personal masculinity. The artists in Bare Men: The Group Show exhibit many expressions of masculinity through their imagery and self portraiture.
This exhibit forces the viewer to face the face of the male nude. The viewer is asked to confront any hang-ups they may have towards the male nude or even nudity, in general, and appreciate that there is art in the male nude. Art that we all have a hand in creating.
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