These men are shown being soft, sensual, and vulnerable. Can you handle it?
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*Note: The series of photographs referenced in this article do contain male nudity.
Art has the awesome ability to both make us feel AND make us think. Because of that, it can be a really powerful tool in changing the social norms and conversation around certain topics. Take a few moments to explore this series from photographer Kat Reynolds and note any feeling creeping up inside. If you, like many others, find a little bit of discomfort among the feelings you observe, I’m guessing it is in part because you are seeing something that you aren’t used to seeing. At least not in the way these pieces portray it.
What you are seeing is the softer side of men. Black men in particular.
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Photographer, Kat Reynolds, has been capturing the lives of those around her for years. From representing the daily experiences of children in her neighborhood to exploring the emotional lives of friends and strangers, Kat’s work has a raw and beautiful quality that tells an intimate story.
One of her recent projects, SOFTen, has received a lot of praise and attention in the city of St. Louis where it was on display this past fall. Like much of her portrait work, the SOFTen series focused on nude bodies as a medium for expressing emotions and telling a story. But what’s important about this project is that the series focused solely on black men.
You can immediately recognize Kat’s work in this series by the simple but striking composition. A man with brown skin sits or stands against a cream backdrop, with flour on his skin or in the air. It is simple and clean in its colors, but the feelings that it arouses are powerful.
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On her website, Kat describes the SOFTen series as a continuation of the exploration of black male sensuality.
“The idea for this work was unintentionally created during my last escapade in Vienna, Austria last July with the help from Keyon Gaskin and Faustin Linykula. The work environment is a key player and is set to be extremely atmospheric to promote “softness” and ease. With the proper music and the proper tone of voice used to guide the subject, I wanted to create an environment that felt like it was wrapped in linen and smelled like sweet potato pie. Each subject gave me their idea of “SOFTen”, and each one was spot on. Thank you Kevin, Jarris, Vaughn, Darrell, and Rahmar; You’re all lovely and beautiful.”
What is extraordinary about these portraits is not just their beauty and provocativeness, but what a rare glimpse they are into a very prominent part of masculinity, in this case black masculinity: a look at the innate sensuality and vulnerability of men.
It seems shocking to the senses at first to see a black man as the subject of a photo, just sitting there looking exposed and very much alive, in the moment. He’s not a passive subject, he’s a complex and beautiful human being. He’s not being portrayed as sexual, but as sensual. Not as aggressive but as vulnerable. THAT is what is so provocative about these pieces.
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Living in St. Louis, Kat is well aware of the double life that many black men are living. While at home, with friends and loved ones, they are who they are: human beings with a range of emotions and feelings. However, in many public arenas their humanness, who they are as an individual, is overshadowed by a persona that the media has portrayed of them.
But in these photos, these works of art, you can see who the men really are. They are individuals who are loving, vulnerable, confident, and human.
Hopefully, 2016 will see many more works by Kat Reynolds, and more honest voices and portraits of what it means to be a man.
To see more of Kat’s work or to purchase prints of her art, visit her website The Unsuspended.
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Photos: Kat Reynolds
The post Sensual Men: A Look at the Softer Side appeared first on The Good Men Project.