Tyler Brantley

     In this series, entitled Unearth, I explore the relationship between identity, the body and the natural world.

Simultaneously, nature signifies a realm free from the confines of societal structures and a world deeply entrenched with gender stereotypes. A journey into the natural world often symbolizes an inward journey of self discovery. One is able to abandon the expectations and labels of society and focus on understanding the self. As a gay male, I photograph my interactions with the landscape as a means to express the struggle of feeling caught in between gender roles and how this acts as an obstruction to understanding one’s identity. I am fascinated with the contradictions that arise from this dynamic such as the stereotypical female role to protect the earth at odds with the male impulse to destroy it. By juxtaposing my body with natural forms found in the landscape I express a desire to embrace my own form. It is an attempt to rid myself of the insecurities created out of a perceived failure to conform to traditional masculine standards. The relationship between the body and nature oscillates throughout the series to reflect a constant push and pull of longing and apprehension as one seeks self acceptance. This work is a rumination on the hindering effects of gender norms. It is my endeavor to reconcile feeling so unnatural in the natural world.