xy
Exhibition Overview
Male sexuality is determinate by the x and y chromosome, yet what does it mean to be a man? This exhibition delves into the complexities of male identity and masculinity across a range of historical, cultural and temporal trajectories. xy approaches these issues through a variety of art works that are grouped into categories like revealing the male body; performing masculinity; (de)constructing male identity; and man enough. Drawing on the rich collection of the Spencer Museum, the exhibition explores the male body as a site of social agency through which norms of social conduct, and rebellion against normativity, are constructed, performed and contested. By pondering the socio-cultural dimensions of male identity, whether through representations of male space, the body, or idealized archetypes, the exhibition questions the modes and methods of male behavior as realized and represented visually by artists.
Exhibition images
Works of art
