Gene Tolan graduated from the Parsons School of Design with an MFA in Photography. He approaches his work with a self-taught determination fueled by a journey of curiosity, exploration, and evolution that shapes his image-making practice. A fascination with objects of desire and how they are played inside the frame influences his artistic explorations. This interest delves into the complex interplay between political influence and acts of defiance in image creation and cultural norms that mold our perceptions of African American male beauty within the visual cultural spectrum.