Shape of You

Do you see what I see?

Male Gaze

This series of pieces represents the desire for sex in the male gaze in a literal sense. Sexual addiction can often go hand in hand with mental illness, where Illusions and hallucinations are quite common as well. Obsession over the female form is a common symptom of sexual addiction, making it a quintessential part of the male gaze. Regardless of the audience’s gender or preferences, there is a common agreement of what constitutes as stereotypical erotica, generally centered around women.

 A common trend in modern social media is the gratuitous exposure of skin, primarily in advertisements or amateur models. Provocative images have become such a widespread tool for appealing to an audience, to the point of saturating their minds even without any stimulus. This becomes a positive feedback loop where the primal response of the viewers pushes the expectations for even more exposure and erotic display.

The smoke is used as a reference towards addiction, in the sense that nicotine is notorious for its addictive, and lethal characteristics. When combined with the illusion of a human form, a connection can be made to the invisible, psychological effect of lust. The use of smoke also symbolizes that the figure is untouchable and simply an ethereal form.

Imagination is fueled by the mind, and therefore can be a strong weapon against oneself. If a viewer discerns a figure within nothing but a cloud of smoke, that in itself is proof of viewer’s own projections emerging  from their subconscious.