Ryan Arthurs

Opening Reception: May 1st, 2104

Degrees of Freedom is comprised of portraits of men, largely off-duty military servicemen, that have been colorfully silk screened, obscuring and highlighting the figures. Whereas earlier work used the natural world to explore themes of strength and toughness, Arthurs' current work uses vintage military snapshots to explore bonds of friendship, playfulness and vulnerability.

This work is part of a larger series called R&R (Rest & Relaxation), which explores how men in the military spent their freedom while not fighting on the front lines. It highlights themes related to masculine identity, literally exploring the boundaries and spaces where men go to assert their strength and prove themselves.

Ryan Arthurs received an MFA in Photography from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2012 and a BFA in Studio Art from Carleton College in 2005. He currently teaches photography at Harvard University. Recent exhibitions include UMaine Museum I-95 Triennial, Boston University's Boston Young Contemporaries 2012 and Emerson College's Huret & Spector Gallery. Ryan published his first book, The Height of Land, in 2012 with Houseboat Press in Somerville, MA.

Visit Ryan's website at ryanarthurs.com!