MAGAZINE
MASCULAR
PREVIOUS ISSUES
With amazing content from artists from around the world, each issue of Mascular Magazine has plenty to discover, consider and enjoy. They are all free to download, so please take a look:
The files are approximately 50MB. Please allow time for them to download.
Spring 2012
Issue No. 1
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The inaugural issue of Mascular Magazine showcased the works of a broad array of creatives from all over the world. The objective was to see what themes and issues were the subject matter for creatives, most of whom shared the same sexuality, but little else. The results were fascinating.
Summer 2012
Issue No. 2
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​The theme for Issue No. 2 of Mascular Magazine was Nature. We asked photographers, writers, designers, architects, musicians, sculptors, poets - artists of all kind to consider their natural surroundings. How does their natural world influence their work? In what ways are today’s artists engaging with the natural world? Time to explore.
Autumn 2012
Issue No. 3
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Issue No. 3 of Mascular Magazine explores relationships. We asked photographers, writers, designers, architects, musicians, sculptors, poets, artists of all kinds to consider and reflect on the important relationships in their lives. How were they formed? How do they work? What do they get from them? We and our work are formed and informed by our relationships - both positive and negative. Are relationships changing, and if so, in what ways?
Winter 2013
Issue No. 4
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Issue No. 4 of Mascular Magazine was dedicated to travel. We called on artists and creatives from around the world to take us on a trip. Far away, across the street or a trip around the landscapes of their minds. We were celebrating the instinct to get up and go. We asked to be shown where the contributors had been, where they had come from, or where they wanted to go.
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​​Spring 2013​​
Issue No. 5
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Issue No. 5 of Mascular Magazine was dedicated to Black. We wanted to see how artists would respond to black - the absence of light and lack of color. Would these constraints reveal something new? Would they pare down the creative language and reveal something unexpected? The answer is yes, but perhaps not as you might expect.​
​​Summer 2013​​
Issue No. 6
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Issue No. 6 of Mascular Magazine was dedicated to Water. Water is elemental and critical to life, but is it critical to art? Is it as compelling a material in our creative lives as it is in our ability to live? Artists from around the world responded with an amazing array of works depicting water in our lives, in our landscapes and in how we saw the world.
​​Autumn 2013​​
Issue No. 7
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Issue No. 7 of Mascular Magazine was dedicated to Portraits. With all the events, changes, and challenges we have seen over the past decade, we wanted to take a moment and look at how we had changed. More specifically, we wanted to see if the way we see ourselves had evolved.​It turns out that the Portraits theme resonated with artists from around the world. We had in excess of 100 excellent submissions. What we learned came as a bit of a surprise. Apparently, while we remain resilient and hopeful, we are a bit more humble and, perhaps accepting than before, though no less creative.
​​Winter 2014​​
Issue No. 8
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​​Issue No. 8 of Mascular Magazine was dedicated to Fetish. We brought together the works of three dozen amazing artists to explore the role fetish plays in art and in our lives. Beautiful, challenging, intense, and humorous, the works give insights into what happens when we allow our imaginations to drive out desires.
These desires have often been characterised as dark and secret, but what we find through the pages of the issue is that these artists are searching for a more complete connection to their emotional and sexual beings. Are you prepared to let yourself go?
​​SPRING 2014​​
Issue No. 9
​​​Issue No. 8
Issue No. 9 of MASCULAR Magazine is dedicated to Play. We have asked artists from around the world to consider play as a theme in their work, lives, and the arts. Fundamental to how we learn to engage with the world around us, play forms our earliest and our most recent experiences. In a special way, it is the structure on which we build our lives.
The word Play has so many meanings and can be used in a variety of contexts. Not all play is technically fun or even positive. Whether on a field, a stage, in bed, or a studio, we all need to play.
​SUMMER 2014​​
Issue No. 10
Issue No. 10 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to Dreams. Dreams play such an important role in our emotional lives and therefore in our creative lives as well. As artists, we tap into our imagination to create, in much the same way, when we dream, our minds engage in a creative (artistic?) process.
​AUTUMN 2014​​
Issue No. 11
Issue No. 11 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to White. Artist from around the world considered the role white plays in art, in politics and culture more broadly. Far from the opposite of black, white comes with all kinds of baggage. Some contributors use white to accentuate their works, while others used it to obscure the subject. In some cases, it was the jumping-off point, while in others, it was a destination in itself.
​WINTER 2015
Issue No. 12
issue No. 12 of MASCULAR Magazine. This issue is dedicated to LIGHT. Fundamental to most forms of creativity, light can be a tool, a subject, or a challenge. Artists from around the world engaged with light in its many forms, meanings, and qualities to reveal that we still have much to say on the subject. From photography that uses light to sculpt form to forms that respond to light to give depth, it all comes down to an unavoidable interaction. It reveals and obscures, it brings warmth and it strips you bare - LIGHT!
​SPRING 2015
Issue No. 13
Issue No. 13 of MASCULAR Magazine is dedicated to all things FuckedUp. Our contributors challenge you to consider the world and artistic expression from the perspective of the outsider. Subversive thoughts, daring concepts, and dark places are all here. These artists have grown tired of the conventional because it doesn't speak to them. It's not their experience of life.
​SUMMER 2015
Issue No. 14
Issue No. 14 of MASCULAR Magazine is dedicated to the 'Road'. Be it a destination in and of itself or the conduit that takes you to new and far away places, the road figures in all of our lives. We travel along a path through our time, sometimes alone and sometimes in the company of others, and all the while, we wonder if our footsteps will leave a trace. The Road is loaded with potential, mystery, and, in some cases, menace. Never forget that there are at least two directions of travel, and that experiences travel towards you as well as away. Step into the pages of this issue of MASCULAR magazine and see where our amazing contributors take you
​AUTUMN 2015
Issue No. 15
Issue No. 15 of MASCULAR Magazine the Seven Deadly Sins - a topic that is both ancient and constantly relevant. Yes, sin is a Christian concept that has been used for social control but if we take out the religion we are left with a set of behaviors that every human being can relate to. The understanding of Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride exists in all cultures and religions, if not in religious texts then in folk tales or stories. We have brought together a group of amazing artists from around the globe who explore through different media how these sins/behaviors are manifest in the world today. Sometimes there are consequences to our behavior but there is also a great deal of pleasure to be had by indulging in a little bit of immorality. So come and join the mischief. A little bit of being bad will do you a world of good.
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​WINTER 2016
Issue No. 16
Issue No. 16 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to SPORT. An activity, way of life, pastime or obsession, sports figures in some way in the lives of most people. It’s been passed to us through time and exists across cultures. For some, it's an everyday part of their existence – an expression of who they are and what they do. Being in peak physical condition is an aphrodisiac both for the subject and as an object. Some follow sports teams with devotion and emotional investment that would normally be reserved for a family member or loved one.
​SPRING-SUMMER 2016
Issue No. 17
Issue No. 17 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to NOCTURNAL. We invited artists and creatives from all over the world to help us lift the veil of darkness on this intriguing world of darkness, shadows, secrets, and, perhaps, horrors. Plants and animals behave differently at night, and as it happens, so do we humans. Unlike the day, the night feels like it could go on forever. Sunrise is something of a surprise, and ever so moody. Sunset seems to take a long time but is calming as if it’s gently easing us into what’s about to happen. We are aware of the death of that day. We contemplate what we have achieved and what is left to do tomorrow – we plan our lives during the day. But at night, there are endless possibilities.
AUTUMN 2016
Issue No. 18
Issue No. 18 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to TECH. Some might say that the most important thing to happen in the world of art in recent times has been technology. Consider the tens of thousands of years artists created their works with some variant of charcoal to paint and clay. It took 100 years to go from the first photographs to digital capture. But the last thirty years have seen more variety and a greater quantity of art produced than in the entire history of mankind. Is this a good thing?​ We invited artists and creatives from all over the world to help us come to terms with this revolution, to respond to it, to expand on it, and to confront it. Low-tech, Hi-Tech, New-Tech, Old-Tech, they all have their aficionados. Some artists find the ever-increasing presence of tech in their lives to be suffocating, while others find it to be central to their creative freedom.
WINTER 2017
Issue No. 19
Issue No. 19 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to HOME. What does it mean to you? What images does your mind conjure when you think of home? Do you see your mother? Your partner? The house you grew up in? Is it solitary or is it noisy and crowded? For many, it is a combination of all these things. Memory plays a large role in how we think of home. Our brains select bits and pieces, fragments of images seemingly unrelated, and weaves them together to create a seamless canvas. There can also be a mix of joy and sadness associated with thoughts of home. Thoughts of home, indeed, speak directly to our shared humanity. It may be one of the rare topics that unite people from different cultures and backgrounds. (Guest edited by Ron Amato)
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SPRING 2017
Issue No. 20
Issue No. 20 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to PARTY. These last few years have been fueled by political activity, often with unpredictable or disappointing results. Promises, accusations, fights, and name-calling all followed the second martini or were displayed on TV for all to watch. And yes, there were tears, laughter, shouts, and hurrahs. But after the big event, many are left asking themselves “why do I do it?” These events are simply a part of human intercourse. They take a lot of energy, move at their own pace, and sometimes end in inconclusive ways. Hopes, fears, and dreams are played out on a stage, and there are lead actors, supporting roles, and an audience. Views are emboldened or changed. In the throes of the moment, we all feel very alive and very much “in the now”, but these moments often fade into memory the next time, inevitably, there is an event.
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SUMMER 2017
Issue No. 21
Issue No. 21 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to BEACH.
There’s something about a beach that puts us back in touch with the very essence and history of our humanity. It wipes away civilisation and lets us re-connect with our primeval selves. As artists, we look to capture this ethereal ‘realness’ of the human-animal. Nudity enhances the effect. Sweeping vistas and the never-ending horizon make us feel small and vulnerable - and we seek that feeling, if only for a few hours on a summer’s day.
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AUTUMN 2017
Issue No. 22
Issue No. 22 of MASCULAR Magazine was dedicated to LEATHER.
MASCUALR Magazine finally tackled the topic of Leather. You know it by how it feels on your skin, that amazing rustling sound it makes when it moves, the overpowering smell. You also know it by the attitude it engenders and the bad-boy chic that’s somehow irresistible. Leather is timeless and adaptable to its age. Generations of men have transformed it to their purposes and created new identities based on their own interpretations of leather. Guest Edited by CJ Brume.
SPRING 2018
Issue No. 23
Issue No. 23 of MASCULAR Magazine was about HISTORY.
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Who are we? Where do we come from? What's made us this way? The answers to these and many other questions reference the past. We look back on experiences or on times well beyond the scope of our memories to assess where we've got to. We are shaped by time. We also evaluate today through the lenses of past aesthetics, constructs, and societies. MASCUALR Magazine asked contributors from around the world to share not only their histories. but to reflect on how we, as creatives, respond to the past. Does it influence our work? Do we embrace it or are we in a battle to erase it and move on?
SUMMER-AUTUMN 2019
Issue No. 24
Issue No. 24 of MASCULAR Magazine was about HEROES.
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We are prone to fantasise about heroes - being one, meeting one, being saved by one, falling in love with one. Often, these heroes are comic or other types of literary characters. They are not the real heroes, living or deceased, that have influenced, are influencing, and will influence our lives and society with their gifts and contributions to the world. Heroes are change-makers: changing lives, changing perspectives, challenging social norms. They go against the flow, even when others do nothing or tell them they cannot change people or the world.
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WINTER 2019
Issue No. 25
Issue No. 25 of MASCULAR Magazine was about MOTION.
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Planes, trains, and automobiles. Surfboards, roller skates, and bicycles. Whatever gets you moving. Issue No. 25 of MASCULAR Magazine was on the move with you. We were talking about MOTION. The fantastic inventions that move you from point A to point B. The contraptions that help you escape your own gravity. Or, the simple pleasure of not standing still. Creativity is the act of conjuring up the unknown, the new, and the impossible. It’s always been a kind of journey. For some, creativity is focused on the means of making the journey, while for others, the journey itself is the creative bit. Be it from here to there, or then to now, motion has played an integral part in how we relate to the world around us. Our potential to move is fundamental to what makes us human
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SPRING 2019
Issue No. 26
Issue No. 26 of MASCULAR Magazine was about INTERIORS.
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What’s it like inside, where you are? Where do you go when you close that door behind you? What are you locking up as you leave in the morning? We drive by thousands of enclosed spaces - homes, offices, clubs, and shops - but what’s going on inside? Issue No. 26 of MASCULAR Magazine wanted to take a peek inside. We wanted to see where you go and what you get up to when you are there. We find sanctuary and peace in the spaces we create for ourselves. We can also experience pain and loss hidden from the eyes of others. In a world where people speak of privacy but gladly give it away, what do we hold back?
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SUMMER 2019
Issue No. 27
Issue No. 27 of MASCULAR Magazine was about FLORA.
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Swiss Architect Peter Zumthor (A MASCULAR favorite) said “My relationship to plants becomes closer and closer. They make me quiet; I like to be in their company.” He speaks of plants like they are people, companions, even friends. Do you like plants? How about trees? Flowers? Perhaps you have a garden you are very proud of or grew up in one that helped foster your sense of adventure. Maybe yours is a concrete jungle. Or for you, floral means the Jasmine perfume your mother use to wear? It’s pretty much universally acknowledged that plants and gardens and all things green and floral are beautiful. Is that premise true for you? Roses are for love. Lilies symbolise chastity and virtue… and death. Orchids have an erotic look to them and are often found in hotels and offices. Advertisers use verdant settings with trees and grass to evoke freshness. But in times gone by, the forest was seen as a dangerous place, not the lungs of the forest. As artists, we have always been fascinated by flowers – their fragility and transience hide the true power of their nature. While a forest fire strikes us as a huge calamity.
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AUTUMN 2019
Issue No. 28
Issue No. 28 of MASCULAR Magazine was about RED.
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It’s primary and all-pervasive. The most beautiful of its kind according to many, it is a signal, and often a warning. Stop, and don’t stop. It heightens awareness and is best in the dark. Red is daring. Devilish. Bold. Redheads are meant to be fiery, and red nail polish or lipstick was favored for making a big impression. Paint something red, and people will look at it. Red is closely associated with sin, perversion, and carnal pleasure. You’ll what you want in the red light district, and your red hanky may just get you what you crave. You need red to make orange, pink, purple, and brown. They have their aficionados too.
WINTER 2020 - SPRING 2020
Issue No. 29
Issue No. 29 of MASCULAR Magazine was about OPEN.
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The word “open” has universally positive connotations. To be open is good, while to be closed - not so much. We talk of open minds, open doors, open hearts, and open landscapes. The term speaks to potential. Openness is a great character quality. But is it really tangible? We speak of it, but do we practice it? Open doors still have locks on them, after all. Being open to suggestions implies gullibility - and we know where that can lead. An open bottle of wine on a table; an open door leading to a beautiful garden, an open field with miles of seclusion. Being open to new ideas and experiences in the bedroom or a dungeon. An open orifice invites. You can fill open things, you can close them, you can look through them and you can experience them. An open mic gives you the chance to showcase your talent. An open goal lets you score. Achievements in all forms come to those who react or engage with open opportunities.
SUMMER 2020
Issue No. 30
Issue No. 30 of MASCULAR Magazine was about FANTASY.
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For many, fantasies represent the unattainable. A fantasy can be a form of impossible perfection, and in that state remain out of reach, and exciting all the more for being so. The very fact that it can’t be had or can’t be done is precisely what makes it so compelling. Be it that sports star on the field of play that you imagine tied to a lonely tree in a deserted forest, or the Minister giving a speech on TV that you would sorely like to ravage - millions of queues are subconsciously logged to give amplitude to your excitement. A leather jacket, a cigar, a slick piece of rubber, or some old dirty socks - these are tangible and available. Perhaps the fantasy is situational or based on risk and danger. Being naked in public, being helpless and vulnerable, a dark alley or a prison cell - many of these aren’t that remote and are sought out for that sense of excitement. Alternatively, they are the settings and backdrops for our fantasies. In the end, the objective is to create the mood and feelings that enhance and intensify our sexual lives.
AUTUMN 2020 - WINTER 2021
Issue No. 31
Issue No. 31 of MASCULAR Magazine was about BED.
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Is it a person, place, or thing? Consider the bed. It’s likely that you were conceived in one. You will probably only have four or five of them in your entire life, and, alas, it is probably where you will leave this world if you are lucky. From your cot to your college twin and eventually, to your ‘California King’ - your bed speaks to your stage in life and status in society. Centuries ago, people took their beds with them when they traveled. The bed chamber in a royal household was the most exalted and intimate room of them all, and where the powerful would congregate. Interestingly, it’s not where the king slept. Beds reflect the cultures that build them. From the Japanese minimalist tatami that suggest a culture that favours simplicity and rigour over comfort, to an indulgent and fluffy bed that provides comfort and solace. So we asked contributing artists to tell us about their beds, its adventures and the role it plays in your creative life.
SPRING 2021
Issue No. 32
Issue No. 32 of MASCULAR Magazine was about WET.
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Guest Editor: Randy Addison
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Inviting and dangerous in equal measure - getting wet is always an adventure. Something out of the ordinary. We naturally jump back the moment we expect to be splashed. Is it to protect our clothing? Somehow that doesn’t seem to be right - it’s almost an instinctive response to avoiding getting wet. We get splashed by a passing car, the skies open up in a sudden downpour or we spill a glass of water on the table - a few moments pass, and then our shoulders relax. There... it wasn’t that bad after all. And then there are those situations where wetness is desirable and even erotic. A pool of water can bring about deep feelings of relaxation and comfort, even if we never set foot in it. The potential and prospect of getting wet is enough. When you can’t control getting wet, and it just happens, there is a point where you give in and enjoy the sensation. Fluids on skin have their own special form of sensuality. We speak of “sliding into a bath” - and “the silkiness of a warm shower” etc. These are wonderful sensations that we seek. Under the right conditions, on our own terms, we like being wet.
SUMMER 2021
Issue No. 33
Issue No. 33 of MASCULAR Magazine was about BOUND.
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Guest Editor: Randy Addison
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A broad concept, BOUND refers to anything that ties us to something external or internal. Maybe our first thought would be to picture someone tied with rope, or in some form of bondage; but a broader interpretation might be to remember we can be home-bound, or snowbound, or bound to memories from the past. We can be bound to a partner, a crush, an idea ... or a post. As gay men, we are intimately acquainted with the concept on many levels. At some point or other, through exploration of leather, or a Tuesday night love-making session, we have experienced that feeling of bindings, literally or emotionally … savagely or softly. This is about your interpretation. In Paradise Lost, Milton wrote “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven...” How does your mind affect your ties? We want to know.
MAY 2021
Issue No. 34
Issue No. 34 of MASCULAR Magazine was about FASHION.
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From expert tailoring to the most artistic haute couture, gay men have played a key role in the fashion industry. From the designers to themselves to the consumers, our fascination for all things fashion has been enduring and impactful. Over time, the “looks” that clothing represent have been deeply influenced by artistic and cultural events. And a plaid shirt has been emblematic of the bear community and suggests down to earth realness - whether or not that follows through in the character of the wearer is a different matter. From suits to sportiness to power to sexual identity, clothing makes the man. In these more gender-fluid times, men are using fashion to express more complex and nuanced messages. A man may choose to present as hyper-masculine physically, but to contrast that with delicate lingerie. For him, this look projects sexiness and makes him feel great.
OCTOBER 2022
Issue No. 35
Issue No. 35 of MASCULAR Magazine was about REMOTE.
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Do you ever want to get away from it all, from everyone and everything ? To be on your own in your own space? Perhaps because we’ve been cooped up for so long, or maybe it’s just time for a refresh and reset. The pressures of everyday life, work, relationships can all add up. Social media brings us all closer, even if, from time to time we need some mental space of our own. For some, it’s not emotional space we crave, rather it’s physical space to roam and feel free. Living in a big city or in close contact with others has its great joys and benefits. But oh! the beauty of an open field or an empty beach – soul stirring and uplifting in equal measure. We brought together an amazing array of artists from all over the world to delve into what it means to be remote. The contributions have been beautiful and thought provoking in equal measure. From Los Angeles to Sydney and Taiwan to Detroit - men are speaking up about stepping away. We invite you to enjoy this fascinating issue.
FEBRUARY 2023
Issue No. 36
Issue No. 36 of MASCULAR Magazine was about LOVE.
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When it comes to LOVE, pretty much everyone knows what we are talking about, but not everyone experiences it in the same way. Intimate Love is the celebration of an emotional exchange between two people. Such a simple definition, but is it right? What if there are more than two people involved? What if the feelings are deep, but distance makes physical intimacy impossible. And what about those situations where LOVE is partial, incomplete. You may love some things about someone and not love other things? LOVE is probably the most celebrated subject in Art. War is also. Whether carnal or spiritual, artists throughout time have turned to this most human of emotions as the subject for their work. From ceilings in churches to tiny little drawings carried close to the heart of an 18th century soldier – the physical representation of what we LOVE is the most powerful subject in all art forms. So, we ask you, the artist, how does love feature in your work? Is it even something you think about? Is the depiction of love a never-ending curiosity? Is LOVE always beautiful? Who you love, where you love, when you love, what you love, how you love… we invite you to share the LOVE.
MAY 2023
Issue No. 37
Issue No. 37 of MASCULAR Magazine was about HANDS & FEET.
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Our feet and our hands are remarkable instruments that are the means by which we make our way through life. Our feet take us places. But when you think about it a bit more, you come to realise that, while we may take them for granted, our feet are what truly makes us free. They all look different, but we recognise them on sight. They are punished and just keep going. But if you abuse them too much, they can bring you down.We talk with our hands. We use them in pretty much every form of creation from preparing food to playing an instrument. Highly expressive and dynamic, our hands are always in motion – always in action. We adorn them, decorate them, and generally keep them out of harm’s way. Callused, bent and wrinkled – they are no less beautiful as they tell our story.
OCTOBER 2023
Issue No. 38
Issue No. 38 of MASCULAR Magazine was about HISTORY.
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History surrounds us, it provides the context in which we live, determines the ways we express ourselves, engage with one another and the world around us. Photography in particular is intrinsically linked to history. After all, the process consists of capturing the light coming off any given subject at a specific moment in time. What’s left then might be considered an artifact from that moment in history. Any other artistic medium can also be thought about in the same way. What we do here at Mascular is a kind of historical documentation in some sense, of the artistic expressions of the contributors at what is now the present moment, but will soon be recent, then later, distant history.
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© 2015 by MASCULAR Magazine
