13
Masculinities: Liberation
ThroughPhotography
BarbicanCentre London. 20 Feb to 17 May.
£15-£17(concessions available). Opening
timesvary,see website for details
Thismajorgroupexhibition explores how masculinity is
experienced,performed, coded and socially
constructedasexpressed and documented through
photographyand fi lm from the 1960s to the present
day.Morethan300 works from over 50 different
artistsarefeatured in the exhibition, including Richard
AvedonandRobert Mapplethorpe. Younger and
lesser-knownartists are also represented, some of
whom have never shown in the UK before.
Jane Alison, head of visual arts at the Barbican, said
‘In the wake of the #MeToo movement and the
resurgence of feminist and men’s rights activism,
traditional notions of masculinity has become a subject
of fi erce debate.’ There are many highlights of the
exhibition – make sure you set aside a couple of hours
to fully explore everything it has to offer.
See Peter Dench’s latest Final Analysis column (p66)
on ‘Gentlemen’ by Karen Knorr – an image on display
at the show. Amy Davies© STAN DOUGL AS
StanDouglas: Doppelgänger
VictoriaMiro,London. Runs until 14 March.
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm. Entrance free
PRIMARILYa video installation, this exhibition also
includesselected works from Douglas’s photographic
seriesScenesfrom the Blackout.
Canadianartist Stan Douglas often explores what he
describesas‘speculative histories’ – moments in time
wheneventscould have taken a very different turn. In
thisseries,heimagines the effects of a total loss of
powerin present-day New York City and how people
wouldbehavein such an emergency. A panoramic
viewof analmost entirely blacked-out cityscape is set
againstscenesshowing individual experiences of
resourcefulnessand various degrees of misbehaviour.
Douglashasbeen creating fi lm and photographs
sincethe1980s, as well as more recently working on
theatreproductions and other projects. The photos
arecinematic,with a fi lm-noir or Hitchcock-like quality
tothem– it’swell worth a visit if you want to see
somethingunusual and slightly surreal. Amy DaviesALL PICTURES © BRUCE DAVIDSON / MAGNUM PHOTOS COURTESY HOWARD GREENBERG
GALLERY/HUXLEY
PARLOUR
GALLERYAlso out now
The latest and best exhibitions from
the world of photographyEXHIBITION
Davidson’s photographs showa
different, more hopeful side.Focusingon
the communities – for examplethemining
families and children at play– theimages
are a countenance to the hardshipsthose
in the frame undoubtedly faced.
As an American, Davidsonis perhaps
abletoseethingsaboutusandour
societythata Britishphotographermight
notevennotice.Theimageswereshot
withkindness,compassionandrespect.
Freeexhibitionsof thiscalibredon’t
comealongthatoften,soif youcanget
toLondontocatchit, it’sa must-see.Girlholdingkitten,London, 1960
EXHIBITION
Wales, 1965
Teenagers
and jukebox,
Hastings, 1960