"When I realised that my true subject was the male nude, I set about drawing my friends and myself: men of various ages, mostly gay. Most of us fairly shy, but interested and excited by the idea of showing off, perhaps: of standing before each other saying, here’s me. This is me in all my glory.
So many men I know have bodily hang-ups of all kinds. Too fat, too thin. Not enough muscle. Cock size. Cock shy. Scars and lumps and bumps and the everyday damages done to a body that’s lived in the world.
I started – of course – by drawing myself. I wanted to prove to my volunteers that I wasn’t asking them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. And when others joined me I painted and drew them and I made them look like the superheroes they are. All the gay men I know are absolute heroes. They have fashioned themselves into the proud and fabulous men they are. When you’re a gay kid no one tells you how to be. You’re left to get on with it. You have to create yourself. It’s only later you get to look back and realise this.
And so here they are. No shame in looking. No shame in wanting to see. No shame in wanting to show off."
You can see my first online exhibition of male nudes here at The Exhibit: https://theexhibit.io/exhibitor-profile/paul.magrs
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