WARNING: This article contains a picture of a penis.
You might remember the ground-breaking documentary 100 Vaginas, which saw artist Laura Dodsworth looking at what it means to be a woman through the lens of a vulva.
The same production company has now commissioned a film called Me and My Penis, that will do the same for masculinity.
Following artist Ajamu as he creates portraits of men while they describe their experiences of sex, mental health, relationships and more, it hopes to open up a discussion of manhood that hasn’t been seen before.
Penises will be seen in all their glory on the documentary – including a fully erect member – with Ajamu looking to change the narrative that penises are somehow comical or pornographic.
Ajamu – whose work around queerness, fetishes, and showcasing black bodies throughout his photography career – told Metro.co.uk: ‘I take portraits of dicks because dicks have their own stories to tell but are still censored.
‘I wanted to meet and photograph all kinds of men – the kinds of men i would not normally meet.
‘The film became a space for us to recognise what we all share, despite our differences.’
The subject matter in Me and My Penis may be the genitalia themselves, but – like The Vagina Monologues – they’re more a tool to show what it’s like to be a man in this day and age.
Shaminder Nahal, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, said: ‘The penis becomes a gateway through which to explore all sorts of aspects of masculinity.
‘The men taking part deal with everything from sex to violence, fear and love, masturbation and ejaculation.
‘While we get to see a range of penises and erections – we also see the men explore deep, often hidden, feelings in their photography sessions – and start a conversation about our bodies and ourselves.’
‘I was moved by all the stories and the bravery of the men for taking part,’ says Ajamu.
‘What’s poignant is how of many of them have lived with their demons and not felt able or allowed to admit to them because of being a man.
‘I hope putting their experiences on TV will change our attitudes about what men are allowed to be.’
Thankfully due to a number of initiatives male mental health is becoming a topic of conversation in more public spheres, but male sexuality and body image are two things that’re often overlooked.
Whether it’s the assumption that men constantly want to have sex, the degrading conversations in many a TV show or film about penis size, or the lack of awareness around male infertility, there is a lack of openness and vulnerability (at least in mainstream media).
These men’s stories should flip the switch on these portrayals, and hopefully encourage people to feel comfortable talking about their experiences.
‘Lots of countries actually celebrate the penis in terms of it’s fertility, it’s aliveness and energy,’ says Ajamu.
‘But in this country the dick is still seen as pornographic and my work is there to reclaim the dick from that space.
‘I want the images in the film to normalise the penis; especially the erection. By keeping it taboo we give it too much power and don’t allow men to be vulnerable.’
Ajamu’s previous work has sometimes been described as ‘controversial’ due to its honesty around sexuality and race, which is what makes him so perfect to photograph men who otherwise may have been afraid to bare all.
In this film, they’re given the space to showcase themselves fully with someone behind the lens who’s experienced at breaking taboos.
Ajamu says on his experience of being a black, queer man in the art world: ‘I broke the rules about what I was expected to be, my work has continued to question and challenge definitions of gender, sexuality and identity.
‘But, I don’t believe a label like being a black, queer man means the same thing to to me as it would to someone else. We each see men and male bodies as individuals.’
And that’s just what Me and My Penis will do.
Watch Me and My Penis on Channel 4 on Monday 31 August at 10pm.
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