The Invisible Male Body

Abstract

The dominant role of man in modern societies is inseparable from the “invisibility” of the male body. In the visual culture deeply influenced by mass media, it seems to be surprisingly difficult to represent male bodies in normal, familiar situations. This can be most obviously seen in Japan because of its rapid growth into hyper-modernity. “Salary-man” and “Otaku” typically show the difficulty which Japanese culture has about male identity. Works by some contemporary artists help us consider this subject.