Penis Portrait II, 2023

For some of us, finding a space of sexual confidence within masculinity is a lifelong challenge. This is especially true as a straight man, growing up in the American South, balancing my personal desires against collective male toxicity and the ever-present encouragement to view women as a commodity or object. Mix those ingredients into a simmering broth of low self-esteem, and the idea of being proud of your dick feels... complicated. This was an exciting project for me and I enjoyed the process energing from selfie to art work. Even with the anonymity, or maybe because of it, I was able to recapture a little more sexual pride and legitimacy, which means so much.