American: Robin de Puy’s Portraits of People of Notice

“You can’t lump all Americans together,” she points out. “The project emerged from this thought. Who lives in America? Who are we talking about when we refer to ‘the American’?”

– Robin de Puys

 

In 2015, Dutch photographer Robin de Puy drove 8,000 miles across the US on a Harley Davidson to discover Americans, taking pictures and making recorded interviews of people as she went state to state. “I think Europeans often don’t understand how tough life in America can be,” she says. “I wanted to show real, underrepresented people who are just trying to survive, while also drawing attention to how rich their lives can be. At a time when people seem increasingly polarised in their views, my images seek to challenge the assumptions that often divide people, and to focus on the common experiences that connect us.”

She went back and between 2022 and 2024 took these pictures which form her American series. A standout picture is of brothers Derek and Quentin (above). The 29-year-old twins lived nearby in a tent, in woodland behind a friend’s trailer home.

“These boys had never learned how to have a “normal” life – how to organise everything, show up to a job, all the basic things,” says Robin. “Their mom has a severe mental health condition and never stays in the same place for long and their dad died of an overdose a couple of years ago. Their grandma had taken care of them until they left and started living on the streets. But they have each other, and if you asked them, they would say they had a good childhood. This was where they felt at ease and wanted to live.”

 

“I found people everywhere: at gas stations, in supermarkets, on the streets, in motels where I stayed,” she explains. I see someone and almost immediately feel a deep desire to talk to that person. That gut feeling is always my first ‘reason’.

“After that, it’s a matter of figuring out why I feel drawn to someone,” she continues. “Everyone has a story, but which story resonates with me? In a certain way, I strongly believe that we unconsciously always search for recognition for not being ‘alone’. At least, that’s how it feels for me.”

– Robin de Puy

 

Photographs from American were displayed on billboards along Nevada’s Route 50. “Normally, a photo ends up in a gallery or in a museum – which is, of course, fantastic,” says Robin. “But that is often also a place where many people do not go. I wanted to find a public space, such as outside along the road. I find Route 50 incredibly beautiful. I visit it very often because one of my dear friends, Randy, lives along this road. So it seemed to me a wonderful metaphor to unite the portrayed individuals through their photos there.”