Homos Manus Phylogeny Analysis

Dissecting the Monochromatic Collection of The Phylogeny of Homos Manus

The Phylogeny of Homos Manus is a collection of photos which feature an aspect of gay culture in regards to body categorization. The gay community currently stereotypes individuals by the use of animals. Animals are chosen based on physical attributes such as body hair and muscle mass. The use of animal descriptions and clans plays a large role in on-line dating through applications such as Grindr and Scruff. A single animal clan can reveal multiple traits about an individual's physical appearance and can be seen as a playful way to celebrate many kinds of body types. This collection of photographs reveals the positive and negative aspects of clan ideology. This piece references concepts such as animal eroctism,

The head pieces depict a clan category. Each participant was assigned a head piece based on the animal clan he fell into and then was photographed. Each male participant was photographed a second time, in which he was allowed to choose an animal clan that he connected to the most. Animal eroticism is used more commonly in the gay community when compared to the heterosexual community. Clan identities have positive benefits for some individuals. Clans allow for the celebration of many male body types. Belonging to a clan allows people, who may be self-conscious about their figure, feel confident because they belong to a community. Paradoxically, the clan effect can celebrate physical traits, but masks the personality of an individual. This leads to fetishising body types and sexual objectification. Clans directly create micro-communities within the gay community. "Communities are about being on the inside, which means they are also ultimately about being on the outside. They are about belonging, which means they are also about being excluded from groups" (Johnston, 2009, p.