DECONSTRUCTING HEGEMONIC GAZE IN PHOTOGRAPHY

While the attribution of different meanings to the male image in visual culture involves interventions in forms of representation, it can lead to the objectification of subjects and the reinforcement of stereotypical social roles. With the notions imposed by masculine constructs, society, and today's social media, it is observed that there is a hierarchy of binary gender structuring, power imbalances are frequently encountered, and an attitude that restricts the shaping of representations. This attitude, which can be defined as the hegemonic gaze, refers to the historical and cultural tendency to shape visual narratives in a way that controls the representation of the subject in the complex relationship between photography and representation. Deconstructing the hegemonic gaze in photography emphasizes subverting traditional representations and narratives, focusing on subject empowerment, and questioning prevailing social expectations. Using photography as a strategic language, artists contribute to a more inclusive and emancipatory visual culture by subverting normative constructions and promoting a photographic gaze that reveals the complexity and diversity of masculinity. In this context, the study discusses how the constructions designed within the framework of the gaze on the photographic field are represented, their role in the construction of gender perception, and their effects in the context of the works of artists who set examples of how traditional power dynamics are defeated. As a result of the study, the relationship between photography and the context of artists and their works, which question the hegemonic gaze, and point to rethinking, will be revealed.