Andrew Norris

  One of Norris' work series that captivated me is his "Toxic Masculinity" series. The main reason why is that as society evolved, this term has been raised awareness under the spread of feminism. However, I have never seen any painting series that actually make use of the term "toxic masculinity." According to Norris, this series presents his perspective on masculinity from his childhood to adulthood. His earliest memory of male expectations is based on comic book superheroes, which shaped his perception of males as strong and dominant (1). Norris really tells the story of that earliest memory through this painting series.

The way Norris painted the abs, the postures of males, and even the clothes is a strong statement about men being strong and dominant. In my opinion, the symbol of six-packs represents the strength of males. In addition, the postures of these men pulling up their shirts describe that they want to show the world how strong and masculine they are, to once again be approved of their masculinity. It is an excellent irony that Norris chose to paint superhero clothes. To me, it feels like these paintings are making fun of the cliche "damsel in distress" idea. All of those elements combined with vibrant colors imply how males are portrayed as super dominant, which is toxic. Those factors make this series really fascinating.

Work Cited: 

1. ArtAscent. “Artist Interview: Andrew Norris - Artascent Art & Literature Journal: Call for Artists: Call for Writers.” ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal | Call for Artists | Call for Writers, ArtAscent Https://Artascent.com/Images/ArtAscent-LogoHorPP.jpg, 14 Apr. 2019, https://artascent.com/artist-interview-andrew-norris/.