Emmanuel Mones is a major in Intermedia - Film, Photography, and Design, class of 2018. His research project is entitled, ALT.MASC: Man Redefined
Describe your project in 1-2 sentences: I created a men’s streetwear brand called ALT.MASC. Short for “alternative masculinity,” its purpose is to redefine our image, concept, and expressions of manhood. So, I designed some clothing, developed a brand philosophy, and shot some photographs that serve as its ad campaign.
Who is your mentor for your project? Mark Durant, Visual Arts Department (Photography). I took ART215 with Professor Durant my first semester at UMBC and decided we'd be a good fit. Immediately, I was inspired by the way he thought about the role of art in society. That, beyond form and process, it’s a means of communicating abstract ideas in a way that’s accessible and is able to transcend human language. It’s a way of finding order from life’s chaos, and a way of finding truth. It’s become my philosophy of art. With regards to this project, Professor Durant himself identifies as an alternatively masculine person, so him having that personal connection with the content made me feel like I could trust him to give me the kind of guidance that I needed to fully realize this endeavor.
How did you become interested in this project? There’s a sort of parallel that runs through this project and my own process of maturation. It’s born out of my own attempt at trying to define masculinity, and really my identity as a whole, for myself. I’m a queer, effeminate, Filipino immigrant. Growing up, I didn’t really have many people to look up to that empowered my kind of personhood. So, through fashion and photography, I’m trying to create these articles of pop culture that my younger self would have wanted to see, in the hopes that they might help guide someone else going through what I went through.
How has being a URA scholar helped you to carry out this project? Upon receiving the award, you’re informed of the expectations that come with being a recipient of the URA - particularly, presenting your work at URCAD. Having this end goal in mind lit a fire under me that inspired me to put in the work to come up with something that I can feel proud of sharing with an audience. I will be doing an oral presentation at 2:15pm on April 25th!
What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher? For me, because I am working in the creative field, the hardest part is dealing with how nonlinear the process is. I crave security, but that’s almost impossible in this arena. I’ll think that I’ve nailed a specific design choice. Then, two weeks later, I’d realize that it was tacky, or uninspired, or just not good. Building the resilience to able to start from the beginning over and over again has been challenging but also necessary and transformative.
What has been the most rewarding part? Sharing my project with men who I didn’t think would understand what it is exactly that I’m doing, and having them tell me that they believe in it and that they understand its significance. That has been really rewarding and moving to me. I doubt myself a lot. But, people seem to get it. And, because it’s born out of a really vulnerable place, it’s comforting to know that I wasn’t alone in feeling those things.
How will you disseminate your research? ALT.MASC will be available for sale at altmasc.com (coming soon) and the ad campaigns will be shared on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter under the account @alt.masc. I’m also setting up pop-up shops at art shows and trade shows in the DMV area come the summer. I will present my research at URCAD on April 25, from 2:15-2:30 in UC 312.
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? Find a research subject that you are personally invested in, something you really care about. What will keep you motivated is the search for knowledge that goes beyond a surface level interest. It should driven almost by necessity, like a real need to learn.
What are your career goals? I want to continue to grow as a person along with this project. More than a research project, I feel like ALT.MASC is my personal philosophy. It’ll be a business coming out of this process, but I’ll follow it wherever it takes me and manifest whatever form it wants to take. More immediately, I’d like to get into digital marketing, as a way to better inform myself the ways I can share this content. But, beyond that, I just want to see where this thing goes.
