Wearing his shirt pushed down to his waist, a man stands before a bed. His head is bowed and his long red hair is pulled over one shoulder.
This photograph was suggested by Madam Harkonnen, who wrote:
I get a strong sense of narrative in this light, poised photograph: the cloth tangling his arms in a suggestion of things to come; his hair just brushed aside to bare his shoulder for someone, and long enough to wrap around his neck. Now he’s just waiting with elegant composure for a word or a touch…waiting for the storm to break over him.
This picture strikes me as almost more angelic than most images depicting angels do. The white light, clothing, and bed linens set a simple but, in the absence of much else, surreal tone. However, it’s the model that carries the image.
The man’s hair is especially worthy of note because, while I think its length is beautiful on him, it’s also transgressive. In some religions, long hair is often thought to be appropriate only for women, as this Christianity-inspired article showcases, saying that Men should look like men, and women should look like women. God is not interested in, nor does He accept, “unisex.”
While god may not be interested in gender presentation, I am, because not all cultures, or religions, agree on what is manly or womanly. Moreover, as gender isn’t a dichotomy, it’s very possible to mix gender signals of one kind with signals of another, resulting in additive gender.