The Primordial Man

Abstract

The work of commercial artist Jan H. Andersen, who is well known for his stock images of boys and men, is discussed in this biographical essay that reveals much more than his work as an artist. He describes his journey from doing social work with children to being a leading observer of the inner lives of boys as revealed in the portraits he creates. The emotional life of boys is not a mystery to them, as their participation in the staging of pictures reveals. The author suggests that we are on the verge of a small revolution in the way we will see boys that will be carried out by boys themselves. The importance of social media for boys as an outlet for previously hidden feelings is emphasized.