this photo series is an examination of the visual language of the queer hookup app grindr — and the ways in which gay and queer asian american men perform masculinity and negotiate their desirability on the app.
in these photos, i recreate the visual style of grindr profile photos: often faceless and headless images of body parts. it is a tactic queer asian men frequently use to hide their asianness so as to avoid marginalization in that digital space (Shimizu, 2016) and something i seek to poke fun at/critique/question. what are the ideals and standards of beauty/masculinity at play? how do they fit in the broader historical context of the perception of asian masculinity in america — and in the ways that perception is shifting today?
i also pull visual inspiration from the late queer chinese artist, ren hang, and his iconic style of high-contrast flash. the yellow background of this site comes from the yellow color in the grindr logo.
the title ‘i think i’ll be more slutty’ comes from a chapter in Paul Michael Leonardo Atienza’s article “The Promise of Queer Pilipinx American Desire on Mobile Digital Apps in Los Angeles and Manila.” to me, this phrase is as an assertion and reconstruction of the desirability of asian american men.
in these photos, i recreate the visual style of grindr profile photos: often faceless and headless images of body parts. it is a tactic queer asian men frequently use to hide their asianness so as to avoid marginalization in that digital space (Shimizu, 2016) and something i seek to poke fun at/critique/question. what are the ideals and standards of beauty/masculinity at play? how do they fit in the broader historical context of the perception of asian masculinity in america — and in the ways that perception is shifting today?
i also pull visual inspiration from the late queer chinese artist, ren hang, and his iconic style of high-contrast flash. the yellow background of this site comes from the yellow color in the grindr logo.
the title ‘i think i’ll be more slutty’ comes from a chapter in Paul Michael Leonardo Atienza’s article “The Promise of Queer Pilipinx American Desire on Mobile Digital Apps in Los Angeles and Manila.” to me, this phrase is as an assertion and reconstruction of the desirability of asian american men.