Henri Verhoef: Modern Masculinities
January 28th, 2021
The notion of identity lies at the heart of Dutch Photographer Henri Verhoef’s work. Whilst highly stylised visually, his images reflect a realism and emotional frankness in his sitters - as though through the process of image making Henri is finding an honesty beneath societal constructs. Public Offerings spoke to the photographer to talk finding a voice through photography, exploring modern sexuality and challenging internalised ideas of masculinity.
DarcValac, From Solidarity Will Save Us
DarcValac, From Solidarity Will Save Us
POL: First up, can you tell us a little about yourself and introduce our readers to your photography?
HV: My name is Henri, I am thirty years old and I am based in Amsterdam. I shoot stylized portraits, mostly in the studio. You can recognize my work by it’s technical perfection and eye for detail. I love to sculpt the faces of my subjects with light. I always look for a balance between theatricality and stillness, finished off with an artificial gloss.
POL: What drew you to photography?
HV: I think the internet did. I spend a lot of time on it during my teenage years. Growing up in the Dutch bible-belt there were not too many like-minded people with similar interests so I spend quite a lot of my spare time on the www, speaking to people on forums etc. No matter the forums main subject, there would always be a photography topic.
So I got my first camera at the age of fourteen. It’s a solitary occupation, photography, and I have always been a bit of a loner so it was a good fit. Also, being quite an energetic person it helped me to stand still a bit more, to focus.
POL: Can you pinpoint the moment when you knew it was what you wanted to do?
HV: It was more a gradual process than an aha-erlebnis [eureka] experience.
Growing up in environment dominated by religion there wasn’t a lot of space for arts and culture. That also meant that for a long time I just didn’t really have a concept of being a photographer other than the local wedding photographer. Of course I saw a different kind of photography online, or in television shows like America’s Next Top Model, which I watched religiously. But that always seemed like a very alien world to me, as if these things were happening on a different planet.
Around 17/18 I started to buy some fashion magazines at the local bookstore, hoping nobody would notice, as I was still a very closeted homosexual. In this period I had also met some people online that were studying photography. My horizon was broadening and this different planet started to feel a bit more reachable. At 18 I moved to Amsterdam to study European Studies. It felt like the safest bet.
Up until that point art academy had remained an abstract concept for me, but in Amsterdam I quickly met some people that studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. They invited me to come to an open day at their school and the minute I walked in I knew I had to quit my studies and that I wanted to study there. I applied a year later, and I got in.
Man Up (Styling: Richard Schreefel / Hair & Makeup: Aga Urbanowicz, Danine Zwets)
Union, For i-D Vice
Gay Sports, For De Volkskrant
“Growing up in environment dominated by religion there wasn’t a lot of space for arts and culture. That also meant that for a long time I just didn’t really have a concept of being a photographer other than the local wedding photographer.”
POL: Your work is focused primarily on portraiture, have you always been interested in portraits or is this something which has emerged over time?
HV: It has definitely emerged over a time. Even when I graduated art school I still considered my graduation project more as fashion than portraiture. In the years after I shifted more towards portraiture. I realised I was more interested in the semantic value of fashion rather than the industry itself, which seems to be very focussed on youth. I have never really cared for that. I just really love to shamelessly look at a wide variety of faces and portraiture allows me to do that.
POL: A clear vein through all of your portrait work is the idea of “identity”, how would you define identity in today’s culture?
HV: Identity is a social construct. We tend to look at it as the sum of cultural factors (like clothing, interests) combined with biological factors (like skin color, sex, etc.). It is important to realise that the way we look at these factors are actually the result of shared ideas, ideologies, biases and the way we see the world around us.
All these boxes that create certain expectations are manufactured, by ourselves and by society. They can be helpful, to position yourself within society, to create a sense of belonging. But also often the boxes can be very limiting and exclusive. Understanding that the boxes aren’t absolute truths is crucial as it creates room for different views and options and therefore more freedom to be who you want to be.
Or, like Michel Foucault said in an interview with Partisan Review: ‘We must uncover our rituals for what they are: completely arbitrary things, tied to our bourgeois way of life; it is good-and that is the real theater - to transcend them in the manner of play, by means of games and irony; it is good to be dirty and bearded, to have long hair, to look like a girl when one is a boy (and vice versa); one must put 'in play,' show up, transform and reverse the systems which quietly order us about.’
“Identity is a social construct. We tend to look at it as the sum of cultural factors (like clothing, interests) combined with biological factors (like skin color, sex, etc.). It is important to realise that the way we look at these factors are actually the result of shared ideas, ideologies, biases and the way we see the world around us.”
POL: You produce works which really delve into the duel constricts of emotion and masculinity. Why do you think historically there has been such a disconnect in people relating and documenting these two ideas?
HV: I am no historian but emotionality has been and still is seen as a stereotypical feminine quality, even in modern day society.
POL: Do you think it is something which is becoming more widely understood today?
HV: I think people’s minds might be slowly opening up to the idea that not everything in the world is black and white.
I find the term masculinity extremely complicated as the word usually is used as a replacement for something else. I think that it is a bit lazy, to look at the world in this binary way and thinking you can define things in these two categories. We have to start being more specific, even though it is less easy.
For example - I have been playing rugby for a couple of years now. So many times people (especially gay men) have complimented me on playing rugby by saying ‘how masculine!’. What does that even mean? There are also women that play rugby. Do you then say the same thing? Or do you actually just mean ‘tough’? Why wouldn’t you just say that then?
Another example, of how I also myself have internalised these ideas about masculinity. A while ago I was watching this youtube channel of this group of Dutch straight guys that mostly make gaming videos but in this video they were gonna make a boat themselves. I caught myself thinking ‘ah, right, they really are real boys’. And then I corrected myself, realising, that what I actually meant by that that they were technical boys. That is something completely different. Being technical is not a quality solely for men, so why would I call that masculine?
And this is where my answer to the previous question comes into play again. We have gendered certain qualities as masculine or feminine, connecting them to one or the other. It plays into this idea that the masculine and the feminine are opposite. A dualistic way of thinking rooted in religion.
“I find the term masculinity extremely complicated as the word usually is used as a replacement for something else. I think that it is a bit lazy, to look at the world in this binary way and thinking you can define things in these two categories. We have to start being more specific, even though it is less easy.”
For me personally, as I am growing older, I start to see more and more that they are the same thing. Just like I think that death is not the opposite of life, but part of it and vice versa. So is the masculine and the feminine. So yeah, in my work I look for what is seen as feminine within the (often stereotypically) masculine, trying to dismantle persistent ideas about what it means to be a man.
Wether it is about crying farmers, gay rugby players or vulnerable looking leathermen, I am trying to connect the dots and also my own position towards these ideas and challenge them. I think in all of these series the stereotypically feminine element added doesn’t take away anything from their manhood. The only thing it does is that it makes them more human.
We have made these terms, in society as a whole but also especially as gay men, way too important. We can be rational and emotional, independent and caring, strong and vulnerable at the same time. They do not exclude each other and I don’t think they have anything to do with being masculine or feminine. What matters to me is being grounded, confident, being in touch with others and yourself. Those are labels that actually mean something to me: it is about being human.
Maurice (@doppelgang_), For Levi’s
GOD?, For Toneelgroep Oostpool. Featuring Quiah Shilu (Styling: Tessa de Boer (Maison the Faux) / Makeup: Alexandra Leijs).
POL: Do you have any photographic inspirations you return to when creating work?
HV: Not really. Of course there are certain photographers that I really admire but I try to stay away from looking at the same people’s work for too long of a period. You are gonna get influenced wether you want it or not and I think that is completely fine. But if you gonna keep returning to the same sources of inspiration it is gonna be hard to distinguish yourself.
It is important for me to also keep looking at other mediums or other types of imagery, to avoid getting too inspired by another photographer. I love magic realism for example, stock images, (communist) propaganda, religious imagery, 3D modelling, video games, super hero movies, etc.
“I think the key to standing out is not to be so worried about standing out. I am still learning that. It is not about standing out. It is not about comparing. It is about me truly believing in an idea and wanting to share those ideas with the world. About being passionate about a subject. It is about being upset about something and transforming that into something beautiful. It is about me trying to connect with a world that I often do not understand.”
Joost, From Layers of Leather (Grooming: Bastien Zorzetto / Jan Fuite).
Axe, From Layers of Leather (Grooming: Bastien Zorzetto / Jan Fuite).
Frank, From Layers of Leather (Grooming: Bastien Zorzetto / Jan Fuite).
POL: Is it difficult to create work looking at topics such as masculinity, gender and the LGBTQ+ community knowing you will be compared to photographic legends such as Mapplethorpe? How do you make yourself stand out?
HV: I have been part of an exhibition reacting on the work of Mapplethorpe, so I don’t mind the comparison within this context at all. But to look at in a broader context, of course it is hard to create work on these big topics. Gender in general has become such a hot topic for artists to work with. I am very aware of the fact that I am not the only one.
I think the key to standing out is not to be so worried about standing out. I am still learning that. It is not about standing out. It is not about comparing. It is about me truly believing in an idea and wanting to share those ideas with the world. About being passionate about a subject. It is about being upset about something and transforming that into something beautiful. It is about me trying to connect with a world that I often do not understand.
That being said, of course I want my work to be noticed. But I also think there is a right time for it, to be noticed, and that it is okay for it to take time.
Latifah, For TopNotch (Styling: Maison the Faux / Hair & Makeup: Naimaevebeauty
Lisette, From Solidarity Will Save Us
POL: There is underlying political messaging in your imagery, do you think the best art makes a statement? Can photography change the world?
HV: I don’t see my work as political. It’s about equality and inclusivity and I don’t think that that is political.
I do prefer art that has some sort of urgency. But I can also enjoy things based purely on visual qualities. Photography (in the broadest sense) constantly changes the world. Imagery in general manipulates our perception.
POL: When you start a project do you specifically look for certain people to shoot, or do the themes and concepts come more naturally? How do you find your models?
HV: It differs. A lot of my assignment work comes from the cultural sector for which the actors/performers are already set.
For most of my personal work I look for models that fit the concept. Usually through street casting/social media. I am now actually working on a new project for which I’ll use models from agencies again. It’s something that I had said goodbye to for a while. Having grown a lot as a maker I am interested to see how it will play out now.
Recently I did a project during COVID working the other way around - I looked for performers that were visually interesting already and let myself be inspired by them.
POL: Whilst your work can have quite serious messages, it also can be quite playful. How important do you think a sense of humour is for a photographer?
HV: I don’t think it is important for a photographer, but for me it is. As long as it is applied in the right dose at the right time. I actually myself am more attracted to art that has a certain heaviness, but at the same time I am also spending a lot of time admiring the more shallow things in life.
For my own work it is important to add some airiness. It helps me to put things in perspective, to not take everything too seriously. For a long period my own work was actually a lot darker. Both visually and in content. I think I got inspired by melancholy a lot. But there has been a shift in my work, it has become visually lighter, and in less heavy in approach. I am still passionate about my views, but with a more positive outlook on life in general. That also allows for my sense of humour to come out a bit more within my work. It is a great tool to seduce people. To trick them into looking at something perhaps seemingly shallow and to then make them think about this subject that they didn’t plan on thinking about.
POL: Do you have a favourite series of work you’ve made? Or a favourite person to have photographed?
HV: For a long time it has been my graduation series Man Up. It was a blessing to graduate with a successful series and started to feel like a bit of a curse at some point, as for a very long time I felt like that still was my best work that I had ever made. Something clicked, at that time: it was a really good combination of a very simple concept for a complicated theme. I am definitely an (over)thinker, which is not always a helpful quality when you want to create and take action.
I think I have slowly started to crack the code though, so I’d say now my favourite series is Layers of Leather for the same reason. It was a very long thinking process, trying to figure out what fascinated me about leatherfolk and what the story was that I wanted to tell. I ended up being able to visualise that in a simple and direct way.
Besides Layers of Leather, I really love the campaigns I have made for theatre group Oostpool. I get a lot of artistic freedom from them. I love creating single images. It is challenging, to visualise a concept in one image. Our collaboration process prevents me from getting bored or uninterested, which can happen sometimes once I have a general idea of what a project is gonna look like.
“For my own work it is important to add some airiness. It helps me to put things in perspective, to not take everything too seriously. For a long period my own work was actually a lot darker. Both visually and in content. I think I got inspired by melancholy a lot. But there has been a shift in my work, it has become visually lighter, and in less heavy in approach. I am still passionate about my views, but with a more positive outlook on life in general.”
All Over - Acts of Love, For Toneelgroep Oostpool and ICK Amsterdam. Featuring Kendrick Etmon & Edward Loyd (Grooming: Jan Fuite).
POL: If time and money were no object, what would your dream project be?
HV: I am so used to working with limited means, it almost feels scary to be thinking about endless possibilities. My initial response to this question would be to say I’d work just bigger, collaborating with set designers, 3D designers, etc. But after thinking a bit more about it I don’t think that is true. I don’t think my goal is necessarily to go as big as possible. Also, if I would end up doing so, I wouldn't want to skip all these steps to get there and miss out on the process of getting there. That is something I have started to learn more in the past year. To enjoy the process, and to not be so focussed on the next step (or the step after that one).
That doesn’t mean I don’t look ahead or don’t set goals for myself, it is more about realising that where I am right now is equally as important.
At the end of the day, I’d like to end up making work that speaks to the soul, and not to the wallet. I am still navigating to find the right path for me to get there. That isn’t always easy, as it involves sometimes making choices that don’t directly lead to that goal. That used to intimidate me but I am starting to see that everything I do now is also a part of it. Where I am now is the same thing as the end goal. They can not be seen separate, and I wouldn't want to miss it.
“I think what is most important for people to be aware is that photography in itself is a lie. It is a moment, not showing you a before or an after. It is always a choice by an author. It is not reality, even if it looks realistic.”
POL: We’ve read you like to use a lot of photoshop in your work. What it your relationship with retouching like?
HV: I think it’s great. It’s this wonderful box of tools that allow me to establish my vision better. I often spend as much time on post as on shooting and preparing for it. Perhaps sometimes even more.
This is why I do not really describe myself as a photographer anymore but as an image maker. I think because of the way I use Photoshop for some of my work, it has become a separate medium.
POL: Do you think it has had a positive or negative impact on photography and society as a whole?
HV: Any tool can have a positive or negative impact, depending on who uses it and their intention. Besides that, the impact is also dependent on who is on the receiving end (in this case the viewer). I think what is most important for people to be aware is that photography in itself is a lie. It is a moment, not showing you a before or an after. It is always a choice by an author. It is not reality, even if it looks realistic. Personally, I do not care much for realism within photography. I am already seeing enough of reality in everyday life. I have a strong preference for the artificial. I am more interested in what we could be rather than what we are.
I assume the question refers to Photoshop being used as a tool to create unrealistic beauty standards. My aesthetic is not about beauty though. It is about focus and attention. It is about a love for my subject and my image. It is about control. It is about exaggeration and irony. It is about a longing for a better and more exciting world.
Jade Olieberg
The Wittgensteins, For Toneelgroep Oostpool. Featuring Carly Wijs (Hair & Makeup: Alexandra Leijs)
Hans Kesting
POL: What are you working on now? What’s next?
HV: We are currently in a second lockdown in the Netherlands which makes everything a bit more slow-paced again, but I am currently working on two new projects. One inspired by WWE wrestlers and the other one is a project about straight stereotypes with the working title ‘Bro Drag’, trying to give a new meaning to the word flamboyance. I think usually when the subject is gender we focus on the exceptions, to show diversity. I think that’s great, but with this series I’d like to focus on the performative aspect of the behaviour of those who act like what is seen as “normal”.
With both projects I am putting more emphasis on styling than I have in a while, I am quite excited about that.
Also, it looks like I will be in London a lot this year (when travelling is easier again), so I will use the extra time that I have now to start orientating on the creative industry over there. I’m ready for a change!
The White Room, For Toneelgroep Oostpool / Theater Sonnevanck. Featuring Denzel Goudmijn (Styling: Tessa de Boer (Maison the Faux) / Makeup: Alexandra Leijs).
Laura H, For Toneelgroep Oostpool. Featuring Jade Olieberg (Hair & Makeup: Alexandra Leijs).
About Henri Verhoef
Henri Verhoef (1990, Harderwijk) is an Amsterdam based image maker whose work evolves around socially constructed ideas about masculinity.
In creating imagery he finds control. His stylized portraiture is known for it’s technical perfection and tremendous eye for detail. Sculpting the faces of his subjects with light, he looks for theatricality combined with stillness, finished off with an artificial gloss.
Education:
2010-2014 BA Photography, Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague
2008-2009 European Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam