This zine discussed and questioned the idea of what it means to be a man and a boy, the transition and the indoctrination that it assumes within society. We are told as boys how we should  act, think, look and react, a certain way  often because of our identity. When reviewing certain pieces of media, series and theoretical theories, I found it ridiculous and this treatment of boys is  purposely questioned within this zine and the photography itself.  

 

This black-and-white photography zine took family archive images into graphical slides as well as illustrations and other self-portraits in discussing what it means to be a 'man' and 'masculine'.  Polaroid was used to bring back the idea of how photography is treated and meant to be, relating and comparing it to digital photography. This zine is experimental and strongly graphical and grainy to show this discussion on body, masculintiy and self. 

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There are traditional ideas  and references to 'Manning up' and 'Boys don't cry' which are questioned through visual imagery and self-portraiture.  Involving myself in certain poses, positions and portrayals; the extreme and the disrupted. Distorting my body into the  visual image and lens of my camera,  were made on Canon 5D and 6D cameras. The high JPEG and raw images are grainy and explorative yet sat with Polaroid instant film photographs. The new and the old. Using myself and theory to explore masculinity and myself. These theories and ideas surrounding masculinity become sat with a dissertation, questioning the space that surrounds gender, photography and the forgotten side to boys and mental health.