Holly Houlton 

Growing, Losing, Regaining is a sequential and narrative photography project which represents the transitional journey of a young male adult from youth to adulthood and the consequences of the complications this brings such as leading to bad habits due to stress. The use of an outdoor location, flowers and cigarettes act as visual metaphors throughout the imagery; to show it is a natural process and the personality traits of the subject. The format of the work in terms of the imagery and title was inspired by Duane Micals’ work ‘The Dream of Flowers’ (1986). 

 

The work also symbolises the problems Western Society can emit from becoming a ‘man’ and being viewed as masculine; it aims to challenge these issues and also object against them. (Judith Kegan Gardiner 2004) discusses Aristotle’s philosophy that “masculinity was thus rendered both invisible and normative: Masculinity was equated with the human rationality of men” and how later on, in the recent twentieth century, other theorists claimed how “masculinity defines men” (Gardiner 2004). Consequently, it can be argued how this matter is still present in today’s media and society. The series intends to represent that this young man can merge both being effeminate; having sensitive and delicate traits derived from childhood, in his personality and also not conform to the typical idea presented by society of being a ‘man’ and also accept the realisations of growing up as one in his environment.