| Popis: |
Socially constructed western hegemonic masculinities define man’s role in our culture. They become visually apparent in the way men dress and adorn themselves. The hegemonic male’s fashion is ‘generic’ in appearance, paralleling their social stereotype. These stereotypes are accentuated within magazines, also popular culture (music, film, entertainment etc), creating an idolised archetype. In consequence, these stereotypes create restrictions, limiting the choice and design of jewellery available to the hegemonic male. A consistent characteristic of the hegemonic male is the avoidance of beautiful things, in this case jewellery, due to its feminine connotations. This paper will analyse sub-cultures and their dress codes to develop an understanding of how and where men’s fashion jewellery fits in with western hegemonic masculinity. Through investigating three specific subcultures, hip-hop, punk and drag, the circumstance of men wearing and using jewellery is explored in conjunction with how these men represent their different ideal masculinities. This exploration raises points regarding the influences socially constructed norms have on jewellery design and how overt masculine personas seem to obtain the right to wear unconventional amounts of jewellery. My jewellery series, Artefacts From 3 Sites in Nowhere, reiterates the above research using it as a starting point to develop a collection of jewellery for men. The individual pieces are consciously designed to explore the boundaries of what is conventional and what is progressive in the fashion jewellery market. More specifically it aims to create an alternative choice for men who are willing to break social norms and decorate and beautify themselves. |
