Men Gone Child
October 14th – November 9th
Paintings and drawings by Beau Raymond and Matthew Shaffer. The work explores the changing male role in contemporary society. The artists draw on popular culture for both aesthetics and substance. Wrestlers and superheroes become a vehicle for personal exploration and social commentary. Matt Shaffer states: "The lines that define masculinity are increasingly blurring. Using a graphic novel aesthetic, I am challenging the more traditional definitions of masculinity. Wrestlers represent men trying to live up to a self imposed image of what they feel is ideal, while the dog-men present unchecked or base emotions." Mr. Raymond's work takes a more autobiographical approach. He writes: "I have used the "life history" approach in my current body of work to assist me in understanding the male role in contemporary society. These drawings depict the influences that cultivated my changing male role. This viewpoint is purely subjective, but I believe like most males I absorb much of my male identity from the media and social interactions."