Conventions
Aesthetically, the flowers, as well as the muted colours create a soft atmosphere. In contrast, the rugged, grunge jewellery and clothing, along with the tough attitude, create a hard atmosphere. The vibrant flowers contrast against the bleak background, making the subject look almost monochromatic. These visual aspects, however, are only the first aspect of this series.
The larger aspect of this series are the idea of forced gender roles and gender dysphoria. Society and culture, in all its rules and regulations, say men need to be masculine and have machismo. No crying, showing pain, asking for help or even wearing pink, are a few things I've heard people tell males. The flowers represent softness and delicateness, something that men are never allowed to show from society's point of view. The internal conflict this subject feels is emphasised even further through the pressure of proving to others his gender; resulting in the conformation of stereotypes and masculinity. The line between femininity and masculinity is constantly scrutinised by society, even though they are simply social constructs.