Beards of Mann

There is always a period when a man with a beard shaves it off. This period does not last. He returns headlong to his beard.”

Among the most thought-provoking questions of our time is surely thus: WHAT IS BEARD?

What, indeed!

From Abraham Lincoln to Gandalf; Billy Shakespeare to Tom Hardy, the beard has been worn with pride by a multitude of manly hunks all the way back to the ‘pre-Gillette era’ and right up to now - ‘The bewhiskered age’. And today, after years on the sidelines, beards are more popular than ever.

But why? What is it about the facial fleece that is so appealing? From an evolutionary perspective, wonder whiskers were said to protect the face not only from the elements, but also, from jabs and punches from their cavedwelling neighbours. In the Middle Ages, simply touching another man’s beard could be deemed grounds for a duel! And rightly so. While in eastern cultures, the long beard has for centuries represented dignity and wisdom. Close your eyes and picture a baby-faced sensei. See? Your brain cannot even begin to conjure up that image; it’s preposterous.

And what about now? Where the beards come in all shapes and sizes, styles, and sculptures. A modern world in which lumberjack and woodsman are joined in brotherhood with the hipster, the ruffian, and the rock star. It is time. Beard time!

Which brings us to local photographer, Dave Bell who has uncovered the finest mammoth masks on the Island, in his new project ‘Beards of Mann’.

Dave, an experienced photographer, and fluffy-fuzz-faced man himself, took it upon himself to capture some of the Island’s most bountiful beards. The images themselves are arresting, striking and beguiling. Like all great photographers, Dave is seeking something beyond the photo itself.

“It was quite a simple idea, at the start, if I’m honest”, says Dave, “a very good friend with a fantastic beard was talking about trimming his beard right back”, I said before you touch it, you must let me photograph you “so it was about snapping every day, normal fellas with awesome beards! As a bearded man myself, I know that most blokes, when we see another great beard, we all have a little bit of beard envy. So, I thought, why not photograph some epic beards? Everyone loves a beard, after all…. Right?”.

“I’ve been overwhelmed with the response”, Dave says, “and, it’s spiraled into something far bigger than I could ever have imagined. For me, I just wanted to do justice to the cracking beards, and the interesting guys behind them. I’ve even been given support by Braw Beard, Scotland’s original Beard Oil company which was perfect for the project. Their tagline resonated with me ‘Take pride in it, it grows for a reason’. #BrawBeardOils

Who knows where it will go from here? I’m loving the ride and feel energised by this project. Is this the start of a Manx beardy community? One can only dream”.

Dream, we shall. It’s a bit of fun. A chance for cosmic bearded badasses to look cool… for the right light, the texture, patterns, and mood to take hold, and look majestic on the page. And yet it’s far more than that too. A beard is a sacred and deeply personal thing. It is wrapped up in our identity. Protection from more than the elements. Confidence. Body confidence. A sense of being the hairy band t-shirt we wear on our faces that says ‘this is who I am’?

Who knows where it will go from here? I’m loving the ride and feel energised by this project. Is this the start of a Manx beardy community? One can only dream”.

In this era where mental health is rightly, and finally, rising to the front of the cultural conversation, the importance of the beard cannot be underestimated. Physical appearance is linked to selfesteem. And men from every walk of life, and all manner of age ranges, fight personal battles with their sense of self and confidence.

Juggling a busy work schedule and running a business alongside family life there isn’t always that separation. Sometimes you underestimate being able to take time out, to go to your quiet place and relax & chill by yourself, for me it’s being behind the camera. I’m not known for being the shy quiet type but being behind the camera you learn to speak to people to convey emotion through their composure, their eyes – I love it so for me this was a personal project by me for me. It wasn’t a paid job, and it was my first ‘photo project’ I’d seen other great local photographers produce fantastic photo journalistic work and thought, I’d like to have a go at that…. Nothing ventured nothing gained… so with a quick post on the interweb looking for the Beardystuff and people started contacting me…. (Mainly wife’s & girlfriends nominating their other halves) but the rest is history.

In this era where mental health is rightly, and finally, rising to the front of the cultural conversation, the importance of the beard cannot be underestimated. Physical appearance is linked to self-esteem. And men from every walk of life, and all manner of age ranges, fight personal battles with their sense of self and confidence.

There’s something transformative about a mighty mound of sculpted fur. This culture of selfies, gym workouts; the Instagrammification of society puts pressure on men and women to conform, to obtain a perfection that can seem utterly unattainable. So, if a bit of Viking fur adds to your confidence, then go forth and conquer noble whisker warrior!

The beard can take a person out of their shell. It’s a conversation starter. A compliment catcher. A way to connect and give a sense of uniqueness. Thor had a beard and he’s the god of Thunder, after all.

And just look at these majestic, bold, beholders of the beard, surface carpet adorned lords, basking in their macho, ruggedness. There’s manliness here… and warmth too.

Dave’s project has captured the commanding nature of the humble bearded Mann and the kindness behind the eyes too. Head to dkphotography.im to see the full online gallery of ‘Beards of Mann’.

Do you think you have the bearded wonderstuff? Whilst the project is over, Dave has said anyone that wants to extend the ‘Beards of Mann’ photo gallery should get in touch via any means:

Instagram: dkphotographyiom Facebook: dkphotographyiom website: dkphotography.im

Thanks to: All Beards of Mann photo subjects for giving up their time willingly & freely.