Having spent years drawing the human figure Gino's gaze is from a male perspective and he offers no apology for that. The Male Gaze theorises that the images made are from a heterosexual male's point of view. Representing woman as sexual objects or passive objects to be seen. 

Is it just the male gaze that does this? Gino agues certainly not. The female gaze also does the same, in the same way. The obvious difference is the gender of the gaze with over 72 different genders recognised it is apparent the male gaze and female gaze is made up of a myriad of gazes. Looking from the perspectives of each gender there will always be accusations of inequality. The gaze is not the real issue, it is the politics that come with each perspective.  The "Love of Looking" or the "agent of female empowerment" is the male versus female argument usually attributed to the worse excesses of the male gaze and the entitlement of female ownership in the female gaze. Both certainly exist and examples of both gazes can easily be found. There are arguments that say respect, truth and collaboration when drawing the human figure allows for a two way exchange. Creating narratives with human connections.

Drawing the human figure is also fraught with charges of right and wrong. Deciding which becomes a personal choice but any depiction that relies on a lack of cooperation or adverse pressure is completely wrong, whether it be a male or female gaze. 

The Male and Female Gaze Impact the Human Condition

Drawing the nude has been my lifelong experience helping me to understand emotions, where they came from and how they are expressed. The construct we call the body is enormously variable how it works and how it is constructed is full of complexities of gesture and movement. Being able to document the variety of the bodies composition is more than any person could expect to achieve in a lifetime.  Increasing the complexities of this is the surgical and beauty remodelling procedures available to humans' to rebuild and construct their physical bodies, with so many choices to reengineer their own bodies.  Where does that lead?

Ideas of beauty and the images promoting shape and size exemplifying the way society judges what is right and wrong create huge deficits in human' confidence with lasting feelings of shame, anxiety and depression. The male gaze and the female gaze are both inextricably linked to these. Leaving a lifelong legacy for social isolation for many people. What is this for? and Who benefits?