Before

Disrupting the Archetype

Over the last six decades, artists have consistently sought to destabilise the narrow definitions of gender that determine our social structures in order to encourage new ways of thinking about identity, gender and sexuality. ‘Disrupting the Archetype’ explores the representation of conventional and at times clichéd masculine subjects such as soldiers, cowboys, athletes, bullfighters, bodybuilders and wrestlers. By reconfiguring the representation of traditional masculinity – loosely defined as an idealised, dominant heterosexual …

After

Disrupting the Archetype

Since the 1960s, artists have tried to destabilise society’s narrow definitions of masculinity. Why? To encourage new ways of thinking about identity, gender, and sexuality.

In this room, we explore conventional (and sometimes cliched) masculine subjects like soldiers, cowboys, and bullfighters.

By representing traditional masculinity in different ways, our artists challenge the stereotype of idealised and dominant heterosexual masculinity.

What’s not working?

• Using slightly formal, complex phrases: ‘consistently sought’, ‘reconfiguring the representation of…’
• Using longer, hard-to-read sentences: ‘in order to encourage new ways of thinking…’
• Repeating similar information: ‘to destabilise the narrow definitions of gender’ / ‘to encourage new ways of thinking about gender’

What’s changed?

• Using questions and rhythm to draw our reader in (and make complex longer sentences easier to read)
• Replacing formal words with more everyday ones: ‘consistently sought’ => ‘ have tried to’, ‘reconfiguring the representation of’ => ‘by representing in different ways’
• Using ‘we’ and ‘our’ to creative a warmer, more inclusive tone