Claire McIntyre - Brooklyn Masculinity
Tuesday Talent is a new series on Broadmag edited by Alexa Fahlman. Every Tuesday we will feature a submission sent to us through our site that speaks to the current cultural and sociopolitical landscapes that shape our experiences around the world. This series is about showcasing the dualistic nature of photography, what one might call its “double exposure” – the superimposition of the photo and its meaning creates a single image with an underlying narrative just waiting to be seen and told.
- Alexa Fahlman
This week’s feature is Claire McIntyre! A visual artist and photographer who explores social anxiety, conditioning and constructs through photography. In this series, Claire documents Brooklyn’s masculinity through portraits of her tinder matches.
Here, the intimacy of the subject’s portrait bleeds into its juxtaposed cityscape.
Masculinity, as a concept has been fuelling my photographic research. What fascinates me about the world we live in is the multitude of cultures, mindsets and actions spread across the globe. As society takes shape, social constructs have developed over time. I am in a phase of mass questioning; what are these boxes society created and put each individual into, and how we do, or don't, follow the norms of these social constructs? Are we, as individual human beings, able to truly think for ourselves, or do we inevitably follow some sort of social guideline no matter how alternative and off the grid one may think to be?
In this series I wish to open up the conversation regarding the concept of masculinity; what it means to men today and how they engage with it, navigating through the pressures of social conditioning. Through this photographic series I’ve interviewed my male Brooklyn subjects, asking them to reflect upon their upbringing and if they felt compelled to act accordingly. To my surprise, they answered with an awareness that was indeed attributed to the roles which they took on.
Social constructs and conditioning keep on shaping behaviour, and for the most part, people don't even question their beliefs, doings, actions or reactions. I wish to engage with my subjects, and viewers, inviting them to reflect. Photographing this process is my way of opening up the conversation, and encouraging us all to take a step back from our patterned life and habits, and take the time to actually think about our attitudes in regards to what we consider “the norm”.