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Heroic illustrations devoid of trousers

superman
Comic book inspired photos juxtapose unlikely images in order to investigate ideas of masculinity and femininity in the Class of 1925 Gallery’s latest exhibition.[/media-credit]

It is perfectly normal to imagine superheroes in the nude. Some would even say you’re supposed to.

Much of the superhero image is centered upon a sort of implied sexuality. The implication can range from the indiscreet (see: Wonder Woman) to the even less discreet (see: Wonder Woman’s torso). But it isn’t only the super-heroines that toy with the little voyeur in us all. Male superheroes from Superman to Elastic Man carry as much implication of barely inhibited raging machismo as Wonder Woman’s breastplate hints to what lies beneath.

In his “Superman” exhibit, photographer Chung Chak subverts the perceived assumption of Superman (that’s Siegel and Shuster; not Nietzsche) as supreme alpha-wolf masculinity, by way of a collection of photo montages that re-imagines the costumed character through an explicitly sexualized lens.

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In his short introduction to the exhibit, the Hong Kong born and New Jersey-based artist informs us that “Superman intends to challenge traditional gender roles and social hierarchy of our contemporary society.”

As a superhero that represents supreme masculinity, Superman ironically wears tight costumes to expose his idealized male figure for public viewings. On the contrary, viewing a female body is always considered as natural and tasteful. Chak is interested in the supposed distinction of “tastefulness” between male nudity and female nudity.

“In this project,” Chak wrote, “I try to make fun of these traditional values by mixing this masculine superhero with feminine-looking ‘despicable’ male nudity.”

The pieces consist of a combination of three sets of source photographs. The background image of each photograph is that of various, super-normal street scenes captured from what Chak refers to generically as “an Asian society.”

Onto each of these backgrounds is superimposed the images of either one or more super-heroes (in color) or various, effeminate male nudes (in black and white and covered decently), or any combination of the two.

Chak uses as his superhero models a set of action figures, including two versions of Superman and one generic female superhero that may or may not exist in comic-book or cartoon reality. He ironically places these models among the commonplace, taking on rather exhibitionist poses to create a sense of discomfort and disjointed reality in the viewer.

In one montage, we are given a view from behind and through Superman’s suggestively spread legs at a middle-aged woman who appears to be staring up at the tight-wearing figuring above her. We can assume she’s not looking at his face.

Another even more deliberate posturing, believe it or not, has the female action figure behind and above a movie poster, bent over with Superman directly behind her, holding her and leaning in. The movie poster in question? Brokeback Mountain.

Chak combines this explicitly sexualized posing of action heroes with more traditionally iconic images of the caped heroes flying or hefting large objects over their heads. Then, he throws in the totally out-of-place white male nudes, posed sensually but not explicitly.

The effeminate nature of the male nudes contrasts with the big-headed four-color super-beings of yesteryear. Chak wants his audience to consider the actual distinction between a fictitious tights-donning macho man displaying his wares and a real man with a less conventional physique doing the same.

The artist does not place his nudes and his inanimate toys beside each other for mere contrast. He hopes to force his viewer into recognizing some level of discomfort (natural or unnatural, is the question) that comes with viewing naked men in the given environment. We are trained early on to accept female nudity in its tasteful, artistic form, for the natural beauty it conveys. Chak asks why the same isn’t deemed of male nudity.

In Chak’s own words, while the Caucasian male nudes seem so oddly placed in the given setting, “both this naked dude and the superhero just look equally lonely there.”

It is no mistake that his exhibition comes across as out-of-place and jarringly arranged. The photographer wishes to inspire serious deliberation over preconceived notions of gender and sexuality, and does so with literally flying colors.

Chung Chak’s exhibit, “Superman,” can be found on display at the Class of 1925 Gallery on the second floor of the Memorial Union. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

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