The Great Pretender
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Dates2023 - Ongoing
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Author
- Location New York, United States
The Great Pretender is an exploration of the multifaceted nature of modern masculinity and its contradictions.
‘’I’m tired of constantly having to be the man, or the bigger person. Sometimes I just want to cry, sometimes I just want to scream. Sometimes I just want to be held, you know. Not that I want to be a baby, but just like, as a grown man I enjoy being held. I enjoy feeling safe as well, as providing the safety.’’ - Joseph, 30.
The Great Pretender is a personal exploration of the multifaceted nature of modern masculinity among young adult men. As the concept of masculinity evolves and challenges traditional gender roles, a conflicting message has developed. This encourages men, on the one hand, to express emotions, vulnerabilities, and fears, but on the other, it also leaves conventional expectations intact. In this dance between reflecting and being reflected upon, The Great Pretender mediates this space found in the in between.
Since September 2023, I’ve interviewed and photographed men between the ages of 21 and 35 I met during my first year living in New York City. The men include students, artists, IT professionals, corporates executives, chefs, boxers, bachelors, husbands and fathers.
As a woman from The Netherlands, I’m particularly interested in understanding masculinity in the United States. There is a notable fluidity in gender among my generation, but the men I've met since moving to New York City had a different perspective on the dynamics within gender roles than what I was used to. I was surprised by how they still struggle with issues evocative of those faced by previous generations. The conflicting expectations and desires intrigued me to explore further and grasp the complexities, especially in the context of persisting patriarchal gender roles.
Through a combination of portraits and metaphorical images, the project shows the duality of what transformed and what still needs to transform. The contradictions became particularly evident to me through the wide ranging interviews I conducted with the men involved in this project, enabling me to articulate my own observations. A selection of answers from the interviews are also included in the project in text as well as in audio.
