Marie-Lisette Cropp

Disappearing Masculinity is about the continuing redefinition in society of its idea of a man. Society today acknowledges that men have often, and for too long, been portrayed as both the physically and mentally stronger gender. Conversely, when a man shows his feelings he often continues to be described as feminine, where femininity is considered weak attribute. Society continues to be confused, almost to the point where we could imagine that the notion of masculinity might disappear completely.

Women have long been subjected to the male gaze, and the time feels right at present for men to be photographed and interpreted through a female gaze. I have turned my camera on men in a dreamy, soft way to explore their vulnerable and fragile side. I put masculinity under the lens by applying my female gaze to my subjects. My photographs fight the traditional stereotype of male representation — the strong man without emotions — and show that men have feelings too. Yet throughout my photographic process, as I strip away all these layers of masculinity, the disappearance of masculinity becomes a focus in itself. In other words, the notion of masculinity can physically be seen as undefined and disappearing.

Embodyment 

Embodyment is a personal and collaborative journey into how we see and experience the female body. It began from a need to unlearn what I’d been taught—to move away from the narrow ideals I grew up with and towards something more honest, more human.

This work focuses on skin—its texture, its softness, its strength. Through photography, I explore the body not as an object, but as something lived-in, layered, and powerful. I work closely with women—friends, collaborators, and myself—to create images that speak to both vulnerability and pride.

It’s about showing the body in ways that feel real. Sometimes tender, sometimes raw. Always evolving. Each image becomes a small act of reclaiming space, of seeing ourselves beyond the filters and expectations.

(Past)Tense explores unspoken memory in the body under tension. Accumulated experience and politicised forces manifest as pressure rippling through a vibrotactile composition: our collective body deconstructed and reimagined for visitors, who are invited to listen closely, touch, and move with that body, our work. Through collaborative self-portraiture and sound creation, we give ourselves permission to embrace and create an encounter with vulnerability.

Group members: Ash Chalk, Marie-Lisette Cropp, Anachora Gilmour Hemington, Pierre Huang, Imogen Mason, Alvenn Soroko