Men SHOULD, 2024/25

Men Should is an ongoing project that explores the absurdity and pressure of performing masculinity, particularly within queer culture. It began with a simple question: What are men told they should be? This question sparked a deep dive into gender expectations, body language, and the physical spaces men inhabit. The project materialised through a series of satirical furniture pieces that force users to physically adopt exaggerated masculine poses—most notably through chairs that challenge or impose ‘manspreading’ as a posture.

Drawing from research, personal experience, and public observations, the furniture was designed to reflect how masculinity is often performed rather than lived. Each piece became a caricature of a stereotype—both humorous and uncomfortable—asking users to physically engage with the expectations placed on men’s bodies. The work is intentionally playful, using absurdity as a tool to provoke thought and conversation.

Alongside the furniture, Barrington self-published a magazine titled Men Should, which was displayed at In the Works, a group exhibition at Batch Space, London. The magazine acted as a companion piece, expanding on the themes explored in the physical work through writing, collage, and satire.

Men Should continues to evolve as Barrington refines the furniture and expands the project. The goal is not to offer solutions, but to highlight the contradictions, humour, and discomfort in trying to meet an impossible standard.