Mountain of a ____
Margaret Liang is a London-based photographer currently studying towards her Master’s degree in Arts at the Royal College of Art. With her ongoing project Mountain of a ____, Margaret explores masculinity and, more precisely, how masculinity emerges in female subjects. The project consists of portraits, self-portraits, and still-lifes that come to question masculinity as historically being connected exclusively to maleness. Margaret juxtaposes male and female characters bringing forth the range of femininity and masculinity each holds.
At times, allowing her subjects to hold the shutter release and make the image, Margaret transfers the sense of control to them — the control that people often do not possess over their self-definition and even their bodies when being photographed. Margaret explains, “Having someone else hold it and take the photo is something that I’ve been experimenting with a lot lately. Since photography is violent as it is, I’d like my subjects to actively take part in the construction of a photo to feel more in control.“ With still-lifes, Margaret extends the topic and works with symbolic objects such as a protein shake and powerlifting chalk to speak about the expression of maleness in our culture and continue empowering the characteristics of masculinity in females.
‘I began re-examining this long-established notion of masculinity and exploring ideas revolving around body image through a series of performative self-portraits.’
Hi Margaret, how are you doing? Could you tell about your project Mountain of a ____? How did it start?
Hi, I’m doing great! And it is such an honor to be a part of the publication.
The project started with several self-portraits I made for fun, in which I wore sportswear and squeezed the shutter release with my biceps. Initially, I wasn’t going to showcase it as my 'serious' work, as I thought it fed into the fitness culture, which often can be very toxic. Until I showed the images to a close friend, and he said that he saw masculinity instead of fitness in them. “You are such a masculine woman!” his words.
Ten years ago, where I grew up, in middle school, high school, China or US 'a masculine woman' would have been an insult, implying a woman is unattractive because she is 'unwomanly': has large calves, broad shoulders, runs fast, sweats in a gym class, and talks loudly… Masculinity in people born with female bodies has always been deemed deviating, even now. I began re-examining this long-established notion of masculinity and exploring ideas revolving around body image through a series of performative self-portraits.
‘There are some images where I appear more feminine. I’m not scared to show femininity. I just decided to stop feminizing myself.’
You explore the integration of and distance between masculinity and femininity through breaking concepts and portraying the body and the physical power. What is critical to show in the series to ignite the conversation about redefining the concept of masculinity?
As masculinity is a social construct traditionally linked to white, middle-class maleness, I think it is important to visually represent those rejected by the norms of masculinity, essentially those born with female bodies and people of color.
Masculinity and femininity are often set as opposites. Two singular images: one as the large, powerful, resourceful, outwards, acting, dominating; the other as small, gentle, dependent, inwards, receiving, submitting. I believe there is a middle ground, or at least I am hoping there is one for myself, who has always been kind of masculine and at odds with the 'ultimate feminine Asian woman image' prevalent in the media.
In my photographs, I attempt to show the search for the middle ground through vulnerability, mutual understanding, collaboration, and empowerment. There are some images where I appear more feminine. I’m not scared to show femininity. I just decided to stop feminizing myself.
‘Still-lifes are objects I’d like to call jokingly 'masculine extensions' — shoulder pads, breast tape, protein shakes, and powerlifting chalk.’
What is the importance of breaks you create by adding still-life objects to stand-alone images in this series that, in a way, also portray this attempt to break the line between masculine and feminine?
I typically like to produce still-life photos along with portraits in my process for both narrative purposes and just to keep it fun. I think they speak very differently than portraits and could be interpreted more openly. Still-lifes are objects I’d like to call jokingly 'masculine extensions' — shoulder pads, breast tape, protein shakes, and powerlifting chalk. Some of these are used to achieve a more male-like body, others to maximize the body’s physical power. These objects immediately come to my mind when I ask myself to create still-lifes about masculinity, and they, in a way, speak to the struggles with my body image.
‘I think there’s a sort of art to how one holds the shutter. Having someone else hold it and take the photo is something that I’ve been experimenting with a lot lately.’
While working on self-portraits, at times, there are images in which the shutter release cable is in the hands of your subject, who's standing with you in the frame. Let’s speak about the shift of control when, on the one hand, there’s you staging the frame, and on the other hand, your model performs the final act and sets off the shutter.
As I have taken many self-portraits, I have noticed a consistency where I almost always held the shutter release in the photos. I’ve also noticed the various, sometimes bizarre ways in which I squeeze it: sometimes with body parts that aren’t my hands, sometimes stepping on it with disdain, or wielding it like a weapon. I think there’s a sort of art to how one holds the shutter. Having someone else hold it and take the photo is something that I’ve been experimenting with a lot lately. Since photography is violent as it is, I’d like my subjects to actively take part in the construction of a photo to feel more in control.
What are you currently working on in terms of a theme or a new project that is in the process?
I plan to continue working on Mountain of a____ for the time being. My next step is to portray more aspects of masculinity that are not directly correlated to physical strength.
