The Masculine Lived Experience is the second instalment of a two-part exhibition. Eighteen artists from across Canada are featured in the exhibitions, and each of these artists articulates a visual narrative of how social norms as well as traditions, learned behaviours and stereotypes impact self-perception and lived experience.
Each of us is impacted by social norms, which are “expectation[s] about appropriate behaviour in a group context. . . Norms not only detail what is appropriate behaviour, but these expectations in turn define what the group does, and who the group is.” Social norms can influence who we become, how we see the world and how we treat others. For example, they can be a cause of prejudice, as “about half of all prejudiced attitudes are based only on the need to conform.”
This exhibition aims to communicate the personal impact social norms can have within contemporary society. The Masculine Lived Experience features nine introspective artists exploring the subjective influence of societal constructs. Contributing artist John Onyschuk says, “In my previous projects, I've delved into masculine fantasies found in entertainment and violent conflicts. I examined historical paraphernalia surrounding war and discovered similar patterns in modern conflicts, where fantasy narratives cross into real-world scenarios. This new work represents a culmination of these past ideas—critiquing oppressive hierarchies and dystopian futures cultivated by masculine subcultures—with a shift in focus to something intimately familiar: the oil industry in my home province.” John’s piece Carbon Capture features a life-size wooden figure lying in a contemporary sarcophagus-like structure. Pipes extend outward from the metal platform and are attached to a series of aluminum vessels, visually conveying the complex impact that industry has on the male lived experience.
The Masculine Lived Experience invites the viewer to contemplate how oppressive social norms have shaped the past and the present and, importantly, how they might shape the future. They also challenge the viewer to reexamine their own social biases. Contributing artist Craig Le Blanc explains, “My practice reveals a long-standing interest in vulnerability, bravado, ego, loss and façade. In 1996 I began an extended focus on masculinity, work that examined the burden of socially constructed ideals upon what it means to be male.”
