Memories of Dust is an ongoing photography project exploring traditional masculinity in my home state of Texas. In this project, I examine the cowboy, an important male figure shaped by popular culture, and its role in a fast-changing society.
In a time of growing tensions between traditional values and modern questions of identity, it is necessary to challenge classic representations of masculinity and highlight the impact of visual media on gender constructions. The cowboy—a longstanding symbol of North America and a role model from my childhood—is still romanticized by popular culture as the „real man“: the strong silent type, lonesome, self-reliant, and emotionally distant. The myth of the cowboy has played a major part in defining an ideal of Western manhood.
As I travel across Texas and spend time on ranches and at rodeos, I immerse myself in the daily life of the local ranching community. I learn about the realities, routines, and hardships of the cowboy, contrasting them with the conventions of the cultural myth. By including traditional visual codes and symbols of the Western narrative in my photographs, I play with common representations of the archetypal cowboy and explore the boundaries of this male stereotype.
Through my project, I reflect on the romanticized male traits that shaped me and question the concept of manhood I grew up with. By revisiting the narrative of an influential icon, I document my evolving relationship with masculinity to encourage meaningful conversations about its changing role.
Alex Bex (b. 1993) is a French-Texan photographer based in Berlin. His work examines the influence of visual media on traditional representations, focusing on masculinity and its social construction. Through his projects, Alex engages with the cultural narratives he was brought up with to study and challenge them.
Alex holds an MBA in Music Production from Paris ESG and has studied Fine Art Photography at the Neue Schule fŸr Fotografie in Berlin. Frequently involved in the music and film industries, he has portrayed artists for press and artwork purposes. These experiences have deepened his interest in the power and intricacies of media representation within his artistic practice.