The LAB presents
The Man Box and Beyond: An exhibit about masculinity and male identity
Curated by Allegra Fortunati
Featuring Daniel Anderson, Victor Barbieri, Bill Berry, Jaime Cortez, Richard Godinez, Clinton Hensley, Jonn Herschend, John Jenkins, Scott Kildall, Shaun Leonardo, Scott Newell, Emet Sosna, Marq Sutherland, Ehren Tool, and Scott Tsuchitani
April 7-May 6, 2006
Opening Reception: Friday, April 7, 6-9 PM, performance by Shaun Leonardo at 7 PM
Closing Reception, Artists Talk, and distribution of Ehren Tool's work: Saturday, May 6, 5-7 PM
Gallery Hours: Wednesdays-Saturdays, 1-6 PM
Free admission
At The LAB, 2948 16th Street @ Capp, San Francisco
The LAB will present The Man Box and Beyond: An exhibit about masculinity and male identity in April-May 2006. Fifteen artists in all visual media have been chosen to participate, many of whom will create new work for the show. The Man Box is about socially constructed gender roles and masculinities. The artists explore, oftentimes through humor and pathos, the Man Box and the consequences of being in this Box, not only on the personal and social level, but also in the larger context of war, a realm still dominated by men. The idea of the Man Box was originated by the Oakland Men's Project. Originally called "Act Like a Man" box, it is an exercise used to open up discussions about gender roles and how they are enforced, and masculinities and their connection to violence. Men are asked to indicate what messages they were given when told to "act like a man". This exercise triggers memories of their experiences of pain, humiliation, abuse, lack of love, acceptance, and powerlessness. Many of the artists included in this exhibition also make the idea of the Man Box more complex by adding the issues of race, ethnicity, nationality, economic status, age, and sexual orientation in looking at what it means to be a man today.
