Richard Bliss, an artist and tailor, explores masculinity through the process of making shirts. He discusses societal pressures on men, engages in conversations about masculinity, and challenges gender norms through his textile art. Bliss also brings working-class histories to life in museums and highlights the needs of older gay men in care homes.
Richard Bliss challenges traditional notions of masculinity through his exhibition 'The Quest for the Perfect Shirt' and encourages viewers to question societal expectations of perfection.
Bliss explores the symbolic significance of quests in relation to masculinity and how they allow men to explore emotional vulnerability and support among themselves.
Bliss reflects on the pressure men face to be perfect and aims to dismantle these ideals, promoting an understanding that masculinity is a complex and diverse construct that can be redefined on individual terms.
Deep dives
Exploring Masculinity through the Quest for the Perfect Shirt
Richard Bliss, an artist and tailor, discusses his exhibition called The Quest for the Perfect Shirt, which aims to challenge traditional notions of masculinity. Inspired by the idea of quests in mythology, Bliss explores the concept of overcoming monolithic masculinity and the quest for personal growth and liberation. Through conversations with various individuals and workshops with community groups, Bliss uses his sewing machine in public spaces to create over 40 unique shirts that reflect different manifestations of masculinity. The exhibition encourages viewers to question societal expectations of perfection and offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of masculinity.
The Intersectionality of Gender and Quests
Richard Bliss delves into the symbolic significance of quests in relation to masculinity. He draws parallels between historical quests in mythology and contemporary endeavors such as rowing across the Atlantic. Bliss highlights how these physical quests allow men to overcome societal expectations and explore emotional vulnerability and support among themselves. Inspired by the idea of quests, Bliss embarks on his own unique quest to create the perfect shirt, challenging traditional gender norms and offering a new perspective on what it means to be a man.
Examining the Notion of Perfection in Masculinity
Richard Bliss reflects on the conventional ideas of perfection associated with masculinity and their impact on men's well-being. He questions the pressure men face to be perfect in various aspects of life, such as work, appearance, and relationships. Bliss emphasizes that the pursuit of perfection is unattainable and often leads to unrealistic expectations and personal dissatisfaction. Through his exhibition, he aims to dismantle these ideals and promote an understanding that masculinity is a complex and diverse construct that can be redefined on individual terms.
The Power of Craft in Challenging Gender Norms
Richard Bliss discusses the significance of using craft, particularly sewing, as a medium to challenge gender norms and stimulate conversations about masculinity. By creating beautiful and intricate shirts, Bliss showcases the artistic and expressive potential of craftwork traditionally associated with femininity. He seeks to break down the boundaries between art and craft, valuing the craftsmanship involved in creating meaningful objects. Bliss believes that through the celebration of craft, we can challenge societal expectations and broaden perspectives on gender and artistic expression.
Reclaiming the Stories of Working-Class People
Richard Bliss highlights the importance of reclaiming the stories and histories of working-class people, who are often marginalized and underrepresented in traditional narratives. He discusses his other works, such as Workers' Bread and concert shirt tales, which celebrate the contributions of working-class men and women in Durham. By incorporating objects and clothing associated with their lives, Bliss challenges the dominant narratives and prompts viewers to acknowledge and appreciate the diverse experiences and identities within working-class communities.
Richard Bliss is an artist and tailor based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the North-East of England. He currently has an exhibition of work on display at Bishop Auckland Town Hall in County Durham called ‘The Quest for the Perfect Shirt’. We recorded this episode in person with Richard in one of the galleries, and thank the curator, Debbie Connell, for making this possible.
In our discussion Richard explains how he, as a gay man, seeks to understand masculinity and men’s lives through the process of making shirts, often in public places or community settings, reflecting and responding to conversations with individuals or groups. He guides us through the exhibition, telling us about some of the pieces, the ideas behind them, what they say about contemporary expectations of manhood, how they relate to his own experiences, and the contradictions of a man practising textile art and tailoring and using it as a way to engage with other men.
A second exhibition by Richard, ‘Workers’ Thread’, celebrates the contribution of working-class women and men to the history of County Durham, and is also on display in the Town Hall. We refer briefly to this at the end our conversation, and to the ‘The Mural of the Durham Miners’ Gala’ by Norman Cornish, which occupies a whole wall there.
We discuss the following topics in this episode:
Why the exhibition is named ‘The Quest for the Perfect Shirt’ (01:25-06:38)
Richard’s methods and why he uses shirts as his medium (06:38-11:04)
Tailoring in public space and talking to people about masculinity (11:04-13:42)
What Richard has learnt from the process (13:42-17:18)
Favourite pieces from the exhibition – e.g. working with homeless men (17:18-24:14)
The complexities of identity: being gay and being Jewish (24:14-30:50)
Men and power at work (e.g. former Liberal Party politician David Steel) (30:50-36:53)
How Richard got into textile art and tailoring (36:53-39:45)
Ties and gendered power in clothing (39:45-42:41)
Art and its social impact (e.g. Grayson Perry, author of ‘The Descent of Man’, 2021) (42:41-45:04)
The influence of Durham and North East England, e.g. its working-class, trade union, mining history (45:04-50:01)
Why the exhibition is in Bishop Auckland (50:01-55:28)
Thinking about the future, and Richard’s next project on older gay men (55:28-59:55)
For more information about the unique collection of galleries and gardens that make up the still developing ‘Auckland Project’ in Bishop Auckland including the Spanish Gallery, the Faith Museum, the Castle, the Mining Art Gallery, and the Deer Park, see: https://aucklandproject.org
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