Alair Gomes in transit: the construction of the male portrait in Europe

Abstract

This article presents some aspects of the photographic portraits taken by Alair Gomes (1921–1992) during his travels in Europe in the 1960s and 1980s. Inspired by the classical tradition of portraiture, the photographer captures young men in public spaces, creating images that intertwine art, desire, and everyday life. As a sensitive flâneur, Alair Gomes reveals an erotic gaze toward the male body. The frontal compositions and gestures of the models suggest collaboration and a certain complicity, making portraiture a space of intimacy, fabulation, and the aesthetic elaboration of affection.