'Handsome//Pretty' / Ivy Rose

Ivy Rose is a 20-year-old Melbourne-based photographer whose work focuses on capturing youth and creating shoots that explore gender expression and individuality. Handsome//Pretty, their most recent series, is a PSA and peaceful protest rolled into one. It is a direct response to the effects of the patriarchy, flipping the traditional concept of masculinity on its head (where, despite being bruised and battered, it refused to cry). We had a big chat about what’s at stake, and what the hell (ie. what the Patriarchy) art can do about it.

Your work deals closely with the effects of patriarchal ideals on society. Do you remember the moment when you first became aware of these ideals? What was your reaction?

As cliché as it may sound, I first became properly aware of the patriarchy and its impact on literally everybody when I started reading Clementine Ford’s book ‘Boys Will Be Boys.’ Even though I already identified as a feminist and was aware of the downfalls of the patriarchy, this book gave me my first real insight. At first it was liberating becoming aware- everything that was written sort of reaffirmed and justified my thoughts on the matter and gave me the vocabulary to be able to speak up/stand up for what I believe in. I wasn’t just acting ‘crazy,’ and talking nonsense, I had facts to back me up and I could finally understand why I felt this the way I did.

Yet becoming informed and empowered has its downfalls. I started to see how much of our society is affected by this patriarchal curse, even my closest male friends and family. It was hard to look at anyone the same- I lost a little faith in humanity, in the goodness of our society. When I started speaking up I actually lost a few male friends. But I also gained a lot of respect for the men around me who would listen and debate with me, the real ones. I realised that the major way that I, as an individual, could try to do my part to smash the patriarchy was through art and photography. I saw that it could make the men (and everyone) around me become aware of how they could be liberated from these ties, or even just show people another way masculinity could be presented: that there’s no single, set archetype for being “A Real Man". I can blab on forever to whoever will listen about the patriarchy and its effect on men, but words fade. Imagery is something that stands the test of time, and these images will remain to speak my message when I’m not around.

What do you think the most damaging effects of masculine ideals are?

Probably that expressing and/or feeling emotions is weak. This hyper-masculine archetype that society has built for men is truly damaging to everyone in its path. It’s ok to cry, it’s ok to feel, it’s ok to express yourself. Masculinity isn’t synonymous with strength and femininity isn’t synonymous with weakness- despite what is implied by patriarchal culture. This is what we have to fight to change. The typical ‘Masculine Man’ archetype is ridiculous, yet so many people still live by it, feel like they have no choice but to live by it, or feel unworthy when they can’t live up to it. We need to make people feel comfortable to just be themselves, outside of the patriarchy’s grasp.

What role do you think art has to play in examining/changing these ideals?

The representation of men in media, especially through art, has a huuuuge role in examining and changing these ideals. Even though my series is on a very small scale, the role art has played in changing how people think has been very real, even through what I’ve seen personally. I’ve gotten messages from men on Instagram saying they want to be involved in what I’m doing as a response to the men they work with, because they get told they’re not manly enough in their construction job, or others who said they want to be involved because they have been wanting to explore their more feminine side but simply didn’t know how, or where to start. People feel more comfortable to be themselves and express themselves through seeing other people do it. That’s what art can do: it brings these things into the public eye and makes people aware of other ways of living and expressing themselves, and normalises those alternatives.

More generally, why do you make art? What are you trying to communicate/express/explore?

I make art as it’s such an easy and accessible way to share a voice or bring people together. Art is sort of sneaky in that way. People will think they’re looking at a pretty image, but really… BAM! They’re being shown an important message (some of the time.) It’s so hard to get people to engage in your ideas, especially if it’s not an easy thing to swallow, or if it’s something that seems to be criticising the people viewing it (aka some men thinking feminists are anti-men and that their art is an attack on men). Art is permanent too, more permanent than words. I can try to chat anyone’s ear off about feminism or the patriarchy and usually will be written off, but in an image people will look at it out of choice, it will be shared around, it will remain in the public sphere, people will get these same messages without realising. I guess that’s why I make art- for its permanence, and to share messages in an engaging way. Also I’m just a sucker for a nice aesthetic.

What was your vision for the Handsome//Pretty series? Where did the idea come from?

The idea for my series actually came from a uni assignment last year, in my photography course! I think the brief for the assignment was to photograph someone portraying some sort of identity, and my first idea was to do something about the masculine/feminine ‘binary’. I shot the first series of images and loved it, it just felt right. After that assignment was over I realised that I wasn’t really interested in shooting anything else any more. I tried to think of a constructive way I could keep doing those shoots for the foreseeable future and not just feel like I was stuck on one idea, and alas Handsome//Pretty was born. I still don’t have a strict vision for it, but that’s part of the fun. It’s something that can grow with me as I grow creatively. I think one long term vision I have for the series is to publish a book, with multiple shoots in it and with interviews and things from the men in the images about their experiences and limitations with gender expression. But who knows what will happen.

Why did you gravitate towards photography? What do you like about it as a medium?

You don’t have to start with a blank palette with photography, unlike mediums such as painting and drawing. It’s all about constructing objects that already exist to make a visual scene, and for that reason I find it much less overwhelming than having a blank piece of paper in front of you. It's also a very accessible medium- really anyone can pick up a camera, have an idea and snap away to construct a nice image. I’m also impatient and I like how instant it is - capturing moments in time with one click. I started in photography by shooting gigs, honestly because I wanted to make friends and work with the band community. From there I moved onto band press photography because I wanted more control and creative freedom in the images I was making. It was all just a natural progression to then constructing shoots of my friends for fun and realising how much creative potential and power photography had as a medium . There’s so much space for experimentation.

How did you go about choosing which visual motifs to use in your Handsome//Pretty series?

Choosing the motifs present in my work isn’t really a conscious decision. There are always certain things I’m visually drawn to and use without realising. I suppose pearls and flowers is a common theme of mine because they’re traditionally represented as “feminine”. It’s really fun twisting the meanings of these sorts of things to portray that objects and accessories aren’t tied to one gender. The main ongoing motifs I actively plan within my shoots is colour. I usually aim to use a real 70’s scheme. Mainly because I just love the aesthetic, but also because it means every Handsome//Pretty shoot I do will look linked and sit well together as a full series (fingers crossed!).

Did you instruct the model in the shoot? Or leave things spontaneous?

I usually take full control over shoots. I’d like to be a spontaneous kind of person but I’m a big planner and usually have a strong vision of how I want something to look. Pre-shoot I usually make up shot-lists, including things like little thumbnail sketches of possible poses. This often changes a lot on the day depending on what actually works when you’re there with the model, but I like to have them so if I get flustered during the shoot I have reference material for images I wanted to get. But yeah I’m definitely the director over shoots!

Is there a key takeaway or message you want to leave people with, after viewing your work?

Ideally the takeaway would be for men to feel more comfortable expressing themselves however they want, and that representing a more feminine side of themselves is ok. I want people to realise there’s so many different ways of expressing masculinity and that they’re all perfectly acceptable. Or, on the flip side, if people feel judgement towards alternative expressions of masculinity I want to make them feel more comfortable seeing those alternatives, or provoke them to question why they feel uncomfortable about them in the first place. Traditional gender expression is dead!! The end, thank you xox

No, thank YOU xox

See more of Ivy’s work on her insta: @toogothforgranma