the men series

artist statement


"Over the past years, I have been committed to creating a series of surreal portraits depicting men that I have known and loved. The scope of this work encompasses sixth-grade crushes, a teen marriage, and the reclaiming of sexual freedom at the age of thirty-six. Initially, I wanted to use these pieces as pegs upon which to hang memories, an autobiography in paint. However, as the works progressed, I came to realize that there were far more implications involved than simply my own narrative. . .

Questions began to arise. I began to wonder how I really saw men, and if other women felt the same. I began to question what attraction and intimacy mean in this strange new world of pre-nuptual agreements and cyber-sex. I had occasions to share this new subject matter with my male acquaintances--some of the reactions baffled me. Conversations as banal as the weather became sexually charged; innuendoes and jokes were made that would not have even been considered moments before. I believe that I touched a nerve, the taboo of a woman looking candidly at a man. This only convinced me to press on.

Apart from my personal experiences, this project has grown to an exploration of generalized male stereotypes and roles. Men are culturally restricted from expressing vulnerability and only permitted to show strength in prescribed ways. Some of my works focus on the iconographic images of pinstriped suits and flexed biceps, to call attention to these superficial displays of masculine power. This project has changed my life, and I will enjoy continuing my explorations with it. Revisiting the men in my past, I have been able to understand more fully the complexities of each of these human beings and the dynamics of what we called love. It goes beyond roses and ballads, to the irrevocable fact that our relationships shape who we are, and the roads we take."

cory jaeger-kenat