In gay culture, I started noticing that we censor ourselves emotionally but freely exhibited ourselves physically. Gay dating apps are places filled with nudes but devoid of humane conversation. We use physical intimacy as currency, but emotional intimacy is the final frontier we are not ready to cross. I censor my emotions so I won't get attached to the physical touch of my faceless partner.
In these drawings, which are studies for a larger installation, expressive marks of oil pastels are mixed with images of naked men found online and images of classic nude male statues. In antiquity, Aphrodite allowed for lust and love to mix, but the contemporary digital deity facilitates their divorce.
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