Masculinity permeates every aspect of our society, taking different forms and pertaining to unique experiences. From the toxic forms of masculine privilege and power to the reclamation and proliferation of gendered expression within queer communities, masculinity and our understanding of it varies greatly, resting heavily on the contexts within which it is seen. The idea that masculinity, or being masculine, is a singular experience or way of being is a harmful viewpoint for people of any gender. Exploring different presentations of masculinity is thus important to allow for growth in both personal and societal identity formation and understanding. Art has long been used to address gender identity and provides a powerful critical tool for its exploration. However, certain art forms might be understood as limited when it comes to what we now understand as the fluid nature of masculinity and masculine experience. Traditionally, static media such as painting, illustration and sculpture tend to lend themselves to a snapshot of an experience, whereas animation, music, film and drama are seemingly more suited to capturing the equivalent of multiple snapshots and can explore many more aspects of a fluid and varied experience. If the topic of masculinity needs to be explored in a state of fluidity, rather than through static focal points, how as illustrators should we go about this? My answer is the sketchbook. The sketchbook provides a space in which to explore and catalogue the wide range of masculine experience, while removing the constraints of linearity. Particularly seen in unbound sketchbooks, the fluidity of being able to view the work in multiple orders alters the viewpoint and allows for varied interactions and interpretations. Moreover, a sketchbook has historically been seen as personal and private, comprising of the "pre-thoughts" and working through of ideas. The use of the sketchbook, in combination with autoethnography, thus allows a focus on the exploration of my own individual experience as a Transgender Man, emphasising the importance of personal exploration within wider contexts of gender-based thinking and practice. This project asks how masculinities can be explored and represented in a way that encompasses fluidity and variance, and how, through the use of a sketchbook, these dynamics can be exhibited to create a space for individual reflection on the masculine experience.
| Date of Award | 8 Oct 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | David Eckersley (Main Supervisor) |
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