Untitled – Kevin Bohan Art

Story behind it.

“I’ll give you something to cry about” // “Act like a man” // “Real men don’t cry”

Growing up in Ireland in the 1970/80s there was still the lingering John Wayne attitude towards the Irish male and ‘crying’ or even showing most emotions. It just wasn’t done. Of course you were allowed cry when inebriated, this was not frowned upon (unless you made a show of your wife/mother/grandmother), but to cry if it wasn’t at a funeral was just not done. It went against all preconceptions of manliness and male strength.

I never seen my Grandads or my father cry, except at a funeral. This was instilled in me and mostly every male I knew. Everyone of us had a large lumpy hill-like carpet in our psychic sitting room full of all the emotions we swept under it. Now and again they would come out to play when alcohol was imbibed…

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