Mobile nav search icon Mobile nav toggle icon Mobile nav close icon
Penis anxiety

Let's Get Real

‘Manhood’ Photographer joins the Festival of New Masculinity

Masculinity

Acclaimed photographer, artist and author Laura Dodsworth will be presenting her work and insight into male body vulnerabilities as part of our Penis Gallery event.

‘Power, penetration and strength. Weakness, misery and shame. Can a single organ embody all of these? Should it? You wouldn’t think a penis would matter so much, to look at it — a few ounces of flesh that, for better or worse, symbolise masculinity. … Still, buy the book. Get it for the photos, but read it for the funny, the shocking, and the vulnerable moments we might otherwise never see.’ Dr Brooke Magnanti, Evening Standard. 

Now there’s a quote which brings together the themes, the very soul, of our Penis Gallery, an event which aim to discuss that most contradictory of organs, a weapon and a weakness, a joy and a joke, a wand and a willy. Men have complex relationships with their penises, but do we talk about it? Do we fucking heck as like. This is one of those things that provokes feelings and thought that we tend to bury deep down. In order to counter that, The Book of Man thought it important to dedicate one of our events at The Festival of New Masculinity to the classic anxiety and celebrate members of all shapes and sizes, and chatting about some of the issues around thingys.

The quote refers to Laura Dodsworth’s book ‘Manhood: The Bare Reality’, which is a collection of 100 photos and interviews with men which explores themes of masculinity, gender and sexuality – it is a brilliantly honest subversion of the ‘strong and silent’ idea of men, as men share stories and truly embrace vulnerabilities. And we are delighted that Laura will be joining us at our Penis Gallery, to show some images and share some stories from the book.

Manhood

Laura has been busting taboos one body part at a time. Over the last five years, she has photographed & interviewed 300 women and men about their breasts, penises and vulvas. By turning her lens on physical taboos, she catalyses a ground-breaking conversation into social taboos and offers a deeply personal perspective on our most private, painful and pleasurable stories.

We are thrilled that she is joining us.

Oh, and don’t forget – we need your penises for our exhibition!

Submissions are being accepted for nice, black and white images of your own, or your local penis, to be put on display on the night. Send your photos to penis@thebookofman.comstrictly no erect penises, this isn’t porn, this is about ‘at ease’ normalisation. Yes, it’s not the usual dick pic sent to girl on Tinder dynamic, so it makes life difficult – but to our minds this is braver, and not illegal, and everyone who does it is a hero.

 

The Penis Gallery is taking place on 26thFebruary at The Book Club in east London, and you can buy tickets for it now.

 

Laura Dodsworth – Photographer and Storyteller – www.lauradodsworth.com 

For more on ‘Manhood: The Bare Reality’ as well as her new book, ‘Womanhood: The Bare Reality’ and her first book in the series ‘Bare Reality: 100 women, their breasts, their stories’, go here: www.barereality.net
@barereality

Laura Dodsworth

Read next

American men are struggling and prone to...

Masculinity 1 week ago

Male eating disorders

Read next

Eating disorders: most men don’t r...

Health 1 month ago

Related articles


Masculinity

American men are struggling and prone to more extr...

Martin Robinson

1 week ago

Masculinity

What is toxic masculinityWhat is toxic masculinity?

Martin Robinson

1 month ago

Masculinity

How Not To Be A Toxic Man

Martin Robinson

1 month ago

Masculinity

New MasculinityTime For A New Masculinity

Martin Robinson

2 months ago

Masculinity

andrew tate's viewsAndrew Tate’s views on being a man – h...

The Book Of Man

2 months ago

Masculinity

Toxic! Hegemonic! Hybrid! Know your masculinity de...

The Book Of Man

2 months ago

Masculinity

Paul Mescal – Man of the Week

The Book Of Man

3 months ago

Masculinity

Why men’s groups work

Martin Robinson

3 months ago

Masculinity

Men of the Year 2022

Martin Robinson

5 months ago

Masculinity

Boys are in favour of gender fluidity…but ar...

The Book Of Man

6 months ago