Southern Class by Travis Donovan

This body of work investigates masculinity, class, and the complex emotions and tensions linked with the shifting manifestations of each in the American South where traditions are melding with the contemporary. Donovan interrogates tropes and stereotypes associated with economic class distinctions and masculinity typically encountered as a male growing up in the southern Appalachian Mountains. 

Juxtaposing criticism and pride, Donovan utilizes humor and an acerbic look at materials, objects, and actions to challenge notions of social standards and to complicate and generate new discussions around gender, status, and identity.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.