The Descent of Man

In this introspective examination of gender roles and expectations, British ceramicist Perry (Playing to the Gallery) returns to the subject material of his recent TV series All Man to closely and critically consider the nature of masculinity in contemporary global cultures. “The poorer, the more undeveloped, and the more uneducated a society is, the more masculinity is probably holding back that society,” he writes. “All over the globe, crimes are committed, wars are started, women are being held back and economies are disastrously distorted by men, because of their outdated version of masculinity.” Perry’s examination of how men are conditioned to act and look certain ways is grounded in his own experiences as an transvestite and artist with working-class roots: “I have enough cultural distance from the towers of power to turn around and get a fairly good look at the edifice.” Although many of his observations have merit, Perry’s casual approach to the topic (accentuated by his wry humor) lacks a cohesive narrative, so the insights come across as half-baked. As conversations about gender go, it’s a good start, but it lacks a certain spark.[em] (May) [/em]