1:1 Franca López Barbera

1. Clarity of Exploration

My exploration is clear overall.
Franca asked why I am exploring masculinity:
I realized my final focus shifted to my grandad, but she encouraged me to consider the broader cultural critique:
- I am critiquing how masculinity is portrayed and honoured through power, sternness, and rigidity within the Arab world (however this applies to masculinity in much broader lens).
- These expressions of masculinity can be harmful, especially to women.

2. Maintaining Tension in the Narrative

Early in my work, I had strong tension in the idea of “bending, not breaking” masculinity.
Towards the end, Franca felt this tension weakened.
Martyr posters represent extreme rigidity (the “break”).
My final outcome could represent the extreme opposite (the “bend”).
The critical question is: What is the in-between?
My guiding path should always refer back to the initial concept: How to bend masculinity without breaking it? — this tension keeps the exploration focused.

3. Speculative Research as a Tool

Speculative research can help maintain and deepen tension in my work.
Example: Speculating about who is left out or unseen in martyr images — physically, mentally, conceptually.
Franca referenced a Cold War image from Germany where women appear stiff and smiling but were victims of rape — highlighting the “unseen” stories beneath surface appearances.
This “unseen” or “left out” aspect could be a powerful direction for exploration.
Also, considering what is not shown in martyr images — e.g., what the figure is wearing beneath the canvas — could open up new questions and creative avenues.

4. Bringing Back Playfulness and Critique

I have approached masculinity with a comedic, playful angle before.
This could return as part of the critique without losing seriousness or tension.
Think about synonyms for bending masculinity: queering, blurring, folding, twisting.
These terms suggest nuance and fluidity rather than a binary switch.

5. Grandad as the “In-Between”

Franca suggested my grandad may represent the “blurred” space.
He bends masculinity without breaking it — not fully feminine, but not rigidly masculine either.
Avoid jumping from one binary extreme to the other; instead, explore this in-between space where my grandad exists.

6. Using Visual/Material Metaphors

The organic patterns from my grandad’s shirt can be a useful metaphor or material for exploration.
Franca referenced how AI can be used to “make this more feminine” repeatedly to see how far something can be pushed visually — this can be a conceptual experiment even if not using AI directly.
This kind of iterative visual bending links well to the core theme.

7. Handling Confusion and Staying Grounded

I expressed feeling confused at times about my direction.
Franca’s advice: Whenever you feel lost, return to your core operation, in this case: bending — whether that’s bending materials, graphics, ideas, or concepts.
This core principle can be an anchor to keep my project cohesive and focused.

Bending vs Breaking — Always ask: How do I bend masculinity without breaking it?
Tension — Maintain it throughout the work, not just at the start or the end.
In-between / Blur — Explore spaces beyond rigid binaries; my grandad is a perfect embodiment of this.
Speculative Exploration — Use it to uncover what is hidden or unseen in dominant images and narratives.
Playfulness & Critique — Humour and lightness can coexist with serious cultural critique.
Visual Metaphors & Iteration — Use patterns, materiality, and iterative processes as tools to visualize bending.
Return to the Core — When confused, always return to the idea of bending — it’s my conceptual compass.

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