The opinions expressed in this essay are the author’s own.
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About the PhotographerAlex Bex is a French-Texan photographer based in Berlin. His work examines the influence of visual media on traditional representations, particularly focusing on masculinity and its social construction. Through his projects, he engages with the cultural narratives he was brought up with to study and challenge them. |
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The cowboy is an integral part of Texan culture and a male symbol that resonates across the Western world. Representing independence, ruggedness, and self-reliance, the cowboy has played an important role in shaping the state’s identity. This male icon is still romanticized by popular culture as the “real man,” and has significantly influenced an ideal of Western manhood.
In a time of growing tensions between traditional values and modern questions of identity, I believe it is necessary to revisit enduring male representations. As a photographer, I am interested in how visual media has impacted our understanding of gender roles. For instance, movies with strong male leads, such as Westerns, had a big impact on me growing up. They shaped my early perception of what a “real man” should be. While those portrayals can be inspiring, I believe they can also be misleading, and not always a positive image for young boys who look up to these heroes. By examining the myth of the cowboy, I want to challenge the boundaries of a male role model. My focus lies on the visual cues commonly used to construct and express hegemonic masculinity, and how I can use this visual language to tell a different story—one that goes beyond the stereotype.
For this project, I traveled around Texas over several months. From Fort Worth to West Texas, I befriended local ranchers, primarily at rodeos or through connections made along the way. I chose not to travel by car, relying instead on hitchhiking, Greyhound buses, or other public transportation. This approach helped me to slow down time, build deeper connections with the people I met, and allow for unexpected encounters.
In a time of growing tensions between traditional values and modern questions of identity, I believe it is necessary to revisit enduring male representations. As a photographer, I am interested in how visual media has impacted our understanding of gender roles. For instance, movies with strong male leads, such as Westerns, had a big impact on me growing up. They shaped my early perception of what a “real man” should be. While those portrayals can be inspiring, I believe they can also be misleading, and not always a positive image for young boys who look up to these heroes. By examining the myth of the cowboy, I want to challenge the boundaries of a male role model. My focus lies on the visual cues commonly used to construct and express hegemonic masculinity, and how I can use this visual language to tell a different story—one that goes beyond the stereotype.
For this project, I traveled around Texas over several months. From Fort Worth to West Texas, I befriended local ranchers, primarily at rodeos or through connections made along the way. I chose not to travel by car, relying instead on hitchhiking, Greyhound buses, or other public transportation. This approach helped me to slow down time, build deeper connections with the people I met, and allow for unexpected encounters.
A moment before (Jonathan), Fort Worth, Texas, 2024. © Alex Bex
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Ranch hands, London, Texas, 2024. © Alex Bex
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I was invited to numerous ranches, where I stayed anywhere from a few days to several weeks. To immerse myself in the daily life of the local community, I worked alongside the ranchers through long days, learning about the realities of being a cowboy. During this time, I photographed moments that push the limits of the cowboy archetype—moments of intimacy or vulnerability among men that are rarely represented, yet increasingly important to show and normalize. Witnessing these moments has shown me just how complex masculinity is, far more so than how it has been historically portrayed through visual media.
What touched me the most were the stories they shared with me. Many of the people I’ve met in the ranching community have lived difficult lives, and I feel that it comes through in their appreciation for the harsh work they do. There’s a sort of melancholy inseparable from the job and the vast, removed landscape surrounding them. As a community known for its conservative values, I was surprised by how some of these men opened up to me. It confirmed to me that the type of maleness in this community is not necessarily as one-sided as it is often portrayed. These conversations have been selected, transcribed, and sequenced to serve as narrative support for the photographs.
Navigating this environment has helped me better understand myself as a man and the social constructs I’ve grown up with. It’s also taught me to be more understanding of people’s different backgrounds—something I’ve come to see as a strength in a world that often feels increasingly polarized. By making my own Western and revisiting the narrative of an influential icon, I document my evolving relationship with masculinity to encourage meaningful conversations about its changing role.
What touched me the most were the stories they shared with me. Many of the people I’ve met in the ranching community have lived difficult lives, and I feel that it comes through in their appreciation for the harsh work they do. There’s a sort of melancholy inseparable from the job and the vast, removed landscape surrounding them. As a community known for its conservative values, I was surprised by how some of these men opened up to me. It confirmed to me that the type of maleness in this community is not necessarily as one-sided as it is often portrayed. These conversations have been selected, transcribed, and sequenced to serve as narrative support for the photographs.
Navigating this environment has helped me better understand myself as a man and the social constructs I’ve grown up with. It’s also taught me to be more understanding of people’s different backgrounds—something I’ve come to see as a strength in a world that often feels increasingly polarized. By making my own Western and revisiting the narrative of an influential icon, I document my evolving relationship with masculinity to encourage meaningful conversations about its changing role.
The cowboy, Abilene, Texas, 2024. © Alex Bex
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