Fort Worth – Hilton Contemporary

All Nighter in Cowtown

Fort Worth, Texas – 2024

“In Fort Worth, the road under the Stockyard sign rises as it moves west away from the heart of Cowtown. This allows for much deeper visuals of the historic area and, from a filmmaker’s perspective, offers the potential of a wider narrative. If the road was flat, the location would still be strong, but it is the hill that transforms the potential.

Fort Worth is a fully paid-up member of the Americana Club and the city’s rise in fortunes over the last 10 years is testimony to the role the Stockyards played in the old west. The cowboy is the most enduring symbol of America and Fort Worth is the cowboy’s spiritual home. Little wonder, therefore, that this stretch of road will host nine million visitors this year.There are few hotter areas in American real estate right now than this pocket of Texas and I sense that Taylor Sheridan has played something of a role in the growing awareness of cattle culture. The lore of the cattle markets and ranches no longer only speaks to Texans.

I wanted to shoot this tableaux at first light to amplify the neon lighting in the background and create more of a visual mood. That ambition made for greater challenges with the camera, but I just hadn’t seen a picture like this before and that always energises me. The location will always be there and that forces the cameraman to push a few boundaries in the quest to be authentic. It is just not good enough to shoot the Stockyards during normal working hours. More of the same is never an option.

I think the vignette plays to the vibe of Cowtown. This is a storied place where, over the last 160 years, there must have been many late nights of hard drinking and those on the street at dawn, will be going to bed, not getting up.

– David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Print Size: 56″ x 83″ in (142.25 x 210.82 cm)
Framed Size: 71″ x 98″ in (180.35 x 248.92 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Print Size: 37″ x 55″ in (94 x 139.7 cm)
Framed Size: 52″ x 70″ in (132.1 x 177.8 cm)

We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.

by deniz

The Last Supper in Fort Worth

Fort Worth, Texas – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“For a stretch of road to own a place in the visual jigsaw of Americana, it must have history as well as aesthetic power. The road to the stockyards in Fort Worth scores high in both categories, which is why 8 million visitors make the trip to cowtown every year. Judging by the explosion of high-end hotel developments within a mile or two of the old cattle market, there is no destination in America that is currently hotter than Forth Worth.

Photographing this road presented a creative dilemma not only because we wanted to tell a fresh story, but also because we needed to clear it of people and traffic and that clearly required the full support of the local police and indeed the wider community.

Once this second issue was navigated (and we thank all those involved), the next issue was what to do with the blank canvas that we secured. The idea of doing a Last Supper shot came to me late, but we executed well and the introduction of Tomahawk steaks was a cute additive.

Sometimes in these photographs there can be a weak link but everyone in that picture followed my directives and did a grand job. None have been schooled in acting, so I congratulate them all for helping me break some fresh ground. I would imagine that if this crew were about to break bread, I would have all the ingredients of an interesting dinner party” – DAVID YARROW

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 56” x 89” in (142.2 cm x 226.1 cm)
Framed Image: 71” x 104” in (180.3 cm x 264.2 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 37” x 59” in (93.98 cm x 149.9 cm)
Framed Image: 52” x 74” in (132.1 cm x 188 cm)

by admin

The Cow Whisperer

Fort Worth, Texas – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“Fort Worth is the most famous cowtown in the world and the historic Stockyards are an integral part of the rich legacy of the old west. The town is once again booming because the Stockyards, and the sense of Old Americana that they offer, has become a hot tourist attraction. This year the redeveloped Stockyards area will welcome an astonishing eight million visitors – 80x the population of Fort Worth when the cattle trains were in their prime. It’s the most circular of reinventions and it now looks like Fort Worth’s very best days lie ahead.

At first light the Stockyards still offer some potential to tell timeless stories. The rising sun from the east casts some shafts of light along the cobbled streets and the corridors of wooden cattle pen. There is only a small window of opportunity before the sun becomes a little too powerful.

I never want to be too earnest in our storytelling, I prefer to have some creative courage and entertain. In our Wild West series, we recognise that we are in the confines of an old genre and we want to break new ground. It’s good to be playful from time to time.

In this exchange, the cowboy’s line of sight is to be expected, but the lead steer seems to be much more focused than normally observed. She has his full attention.” – DAVID YARROW

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 58” x 56” in (142.2 cm x 210.8 cm)
Framed Image: 73” x 71” in (180.3 cm x 248.9 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 39” x 37” in (99.06 cm x 93.98 cm)
Framed Image: 54” x 52” in (137.2 cm x 132.1 cm)

by admin

The White Elephant Saloon

Fort Worth, Texas – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“It’s a tough one, as there are so many contenders in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas. From a filming perspective, we are drawn to bars with depth and then it helps if the walls and ceilings are elaborately embroidered with authentic props that emphatically play to a western vibe. They need to have history and a lore.

But these are not really demanding qualification rules, and we need some stronger filters. For a start, we think that the saloon must have hard liquor available at breakfast and the bar staff should greet early customers with a smile that suggests a sense of partnership throughout the day.

The door policy should be accommodating to men with no cultural refinement and women with no moral compass and allow cowboy capitalists to mingle freely with outlaws, cattle wranglers and enthusiastic pole dancers. The only real restriction, is that entry is conditional on wearing a decent and well worn cowboy hat.

I think, however, the best cowboy bars must be in towns that are fabled cattle towns. If there is not a hint of manure in the air, at the very least, there should be some steers within a rope’s throw of the entrance. It would also help these days if Taylor Sheridan is a regular.

These new criteria materially narrow down the candidates and all roads now lead to Fort Worth, Texas. Our favourite cowboy bar is, of course, The White Elephant in the heart of the famous old stock yards.

We want to thank Tim Love and his excellent team for partnering with us on this project, and we look forward to visiting next time as customers. My team will all pass the door policy.” – David Yarrow

Available sizes

Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 56” x 83” in (142.2 cm x 210.8 cm)
Framed Image: 71” x 98” in (180.3 cm x 248.9 cm)

Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP

Image Size: 37” x 55” in (93.98 cm x 139.7 cm)
Framed Image: 52” x 70” in (132.1 cm x 200.7 cm)

by admin