People I Know
Vincent Riportella
Conversations about how people identify themselves are constantly evolving as society continues to push against gender constructs. This thesis is a photography book containing stories from young New York-based creatives, who opened up to me and shared their perspectives on gender and sexuality. The responses I collected are juxtaposed with portraits of men enjoying the gay nightlife scene. I wanted to not only create something that I cared about, but that would serve a larger purpose.
This book documents everything these men are experiencing today, but also what I’m experiencing alongside them. We’re all unique, yet we share a similar struggle. Through interviews and portraits this work captures the voices and feelings of my subjects. I think it’s extremely important to be proactive and advocate for the community. By documenting these under-represented men I hope to communicate an understanding of what it’s like to be a young, gay man living in New York in 2018.