The "Mile High" Club
Montana, USA – 2020
This is a club that now has too many members, but if there was an annual meeting, I doubt that many attendees would create as much interest as these two. I think the image has a Hitchcockian mood and we are left a little in suspense.
As soon as I saw that headframe, I felt a visceral urge to incorporate it and of course use the name. It was all too good to be true,
No one else can now do this – we got there first. As always Kate Bock smashes it – she never gets a role play or an attitude wrong.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 56" x 85" (143 x 216 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 96" (171 x 244 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 37" x 56" (94 x 143 cm)
- Framed: 48" x 67" (122 x 171 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
The Last Chance Saloon
Virginia City, Montana 2019
To return to the Pioneer Bar in Virginia City, Montana is to return to my comfort zone and I feel an obligation to arrive with creative courage. We must push boundaries and not be lame in our conceptual processing. We have a free run here in the winter, when only 60 people live here and the Mayor only recently gave me the symbolic key to the city.
The group shots that I have photographed around the window end of the long bar have been well received and are difficult to top, especially as the last one included Cindy Crawford.
My premise this time was to markedly up the number of people in the picture (the most we had used before was six). This puts pressure on both the construction and the casting, as one lame character can become a tension point and ruin the whole image. We have all experienced the difficulty of group pictures on Christmas Day or Thanksgiving.
I think Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscar selfie works so well, not just because of the number of people in the image, but because every character is an additive. It is my favourite selfie.
We assembled a strong cast – the models Kate Bock from Cleveland and Olivia Culpo from Charlotte, native American families from Northern Montana and then, of course, my favourite local mountain men. The hair and makeup/styling team, led by Nikki Parisi out of LA, was outstanding. My direction was 150 years ago Wild West – appropriate as in the 1860s, over 15,000 lived in Virginia City and The Pioneer Bar would have been very busy.
All 11 characters played their roles well that day, but perhaps the picture is stolen by a lovely 85-year-old lady called Mary from Butte, Montana. We nearly called the picture “There’s Something About Mary” but perhaps her hair was not quite right.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 56" x 97" (143 x 247 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 108" (171 cm x 275 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 37" x 64" (94 x 163 cm)
- Framed: 48" x 75" (122 x 191 cm
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
The King And Us
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 74" x 56" (188 x 143 cm)
- Framed: 85" x 67" (216 cm x 170 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 49" x 37" (125 x 94 cm)
- Framed: 60" x 48" (153 cm x 122 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Roll The Dice
Butte, Montana, USA – 2020
The Silver Dollar Saloon in Butte has everything I would look for in a photo shoot bar – deep and thin, interesting wall decoration and good neon lighting. Furthermore, there are precious few signs of modernity anywhere in the premises.
Craps has been the dominant casino game in Las Vegas since the World War Two and I have always wanted to incorporate a table into one of my sets. As soon as I scouted the bar, I saw the potential – we just had to find an old Craps table somewhere in Butte. This was not hard as 100,000 people once lived here and the winter evenings were long.
Craps as a game lends itself to still photography more than roulette and poker because the players can crowd around the end of the table as one player throws the dice vaguely in the direction of the cameraman. It worked in the promo stills for Oceans 11 – so it may as well work in the Silver Dollar too. The key is that everyone at the end of the table must – for focusing purposes – be the same distance from the camera. There is no depth of field inside and a two inches disparity will mean that the focus on the transgressor is out.
Kate Bock is made for the Sharon Stone look from the film Casino and Daniella Braga does not take a bad picture. The girls had worked well with Jordan Belfort – The Wolf of Wall Street – in our retake of that iconic film last year and so I invited him to Montana for part two.
The frame just works – Elvis, the dice, the stare of the wolf and of course Kate. There is nothing I would change at all and that’s not common.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 56" x 70" (143 x 178 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 81" (171 x 206 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 37" x 46" (94 x 117 cm)
- Framed: 48" x 57" (122 x 145 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.
The Leader Of The Pack
Nevada, 2019
The Harley-Davidson is a heavy- weight brand – like Coke and McDonalds, it was integral to the flourishing of the American Dream. The brand is emblematic of the post 1945 roll out of the US highway network that offered the American population the freedom to travel for travel’s sake. As Robert Louis Stevenson said: “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
My preconception was that if we were to use Harley-Davidsons for our “Road Trip” series in America, we needed a visual template that was “bad ass” from every perspective. We could not do this is in a half-hearted way – there was a responsibility to kill it.
All the bikers clearly had to be dudes and my preference was for the bikes themselves to be from the late 1930s through to the 1970s. I wanted choppers that aficionados would recognise and celebrate as I was determined that seasoned bikers could love the image as much as my followers. My hunch was that this might be the first and only time that these two demographics would meet. There was a required level of authenticity and attention to detail, but nothing insurmountable. My production team – Brawler – is first class at looking after that and indeed sourced the famous 1936 Knucklehead Chopper and a 1946 Harley Davidson sidecar.
The location was key. We had to find somewhere that complemented the bikes and romanticised the freedom of travel that the Harley-Davidson brand evokes. This instructed to- wards depth in the image, as the longer the road, the more emphatically it conveyed the sense of a journey. My intuition was also that this was a shot that needed to be in California, or at least in John Ford’s American West, as the topography and sense of place reinforces the brand.
The creative prompts were movies like Easy Rider – the classic 1969 Dennis Hopper lm starring Peter Fonda. America is the home of big scenery and we needed big scenery. Our internet trawling finally led us towards the Valley of Fire in Nevada – a remote park one hour’s drive north east of Las Vegas. It had depth and the moon like rock structures either side of the road continually drag the eye back to that road. If any vista could be described as “bad ass”, this was it.
And so it was that the crew assembled in the modest “Breaking Bad” village of Overton, Nevada last Tuesday night – the bikers from California, my usual five wolves from Montana and of course the delightful Bryana Holly – who agreed to come and work with us on this assignment. I think she might have been used to slightly nicer accommodation, but it was a joy to work with her.
Photography can o en be about maths as much as it is about inspiration and my deliberations on site the previous day were all about the need to compress distance, but also offer decent depth of field. The lens choice – my old reliable 85mm was key – nothing else in the camera boxes worked.
The result is a blowout image and I think everyone involved should give themselves a pat on the back (and that is a big number of people). I look forward to Harley-Davidson’s reaction. It really is a monster of a photograph – far better than I had hoped for. I looked at it in LA for at least an hour on Friday.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 56" x 76" (143 cm x 193 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 105" (171 cm x 267 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 37" x 50" (94 cm x 127 cm)
- Framed: 48" x 61" (122 cm x 155 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Crazy Horse
Montana, USA 2018
In June 1876, the Battle of Little Bighorn – commonly known as Custer’s Last Stand – was played out not far from the location of this remote saloon in Montana. For Americans of all ethnicities with a thirst for history, Big Horn has become something of a pilgrimage and for those with a thirst for alcohol, the saloon is the only place to get a beer within a 70 mile radius.
The US 7th Cavalry suffered big losses in the two-day battle – over 300 men – and the bravery of General Custer has become the stuff of legends. But so too the Crow Indians – who celebrate the occasion every year on its 25th June anniversary. The names of the Lakota Sioux Chiefs are now so familiar – Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Lame White Man and Two Moon. Arguably no battle in the history of the world has been of greater inspiration for naming pubs and nightclubs than The Battle of Little Big Horn.
The Crow Indians remain revered and as a result of some networking, I had the opportunity to meet with the current Crow Chief – a direct descendent of those that fought alongside Custer 140 years ago. Bulltail was an older man of great dignity and whilst he spoke some English, it was clear that Crow was his language of choice – as well it should be.
He agreed to be photographed by me and I had a preconception of what we could do. My idea was simply to cram the view finder with as many characters as possible and use the limited depth of field to prioritise the pivotal players in the scene. Preferably there would be some sense of movement – and the responsibility for that would lie with the wolf. Everything else was secondary to the wolf being sharp and I knew I could rely on the model – she always nails it.
This photograph is very much made in Montana and has been received well by many of my friends in the state. Equally, however, I think it should appeal to all those that find a visceral pull towards The Wild West.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 56" x 99" (143 cm x 252 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 110" (171 cm x 280 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Coyote Ugly
Big Timber, Montana 2019
Any town with a name like Big Timber immediately grabs my attention. It just sounds like a place with an interesting past. As it is, this modest community of 1500 to the west of Livingston in Montana, is a little run down and sleepy. It is nestled between the Crazies mountain range to the north and Yellowstone to the south and most people simply pass it by.
However, in trawling the internet, we discovered a saloon bar in the high street with neon signage on the facade that caught my interest. We visited the location and there was certainly potential, but clearly the shot would have to take place at night.
There was then an immediate problem, as we discovered that the bar was the central congregation point for all the mountain men – not just from Big Timber, but from far and wide. To bring a wolf and a Victoria’s Secret model to the entrance and shoot when the bar was open, was simple asking for trouble.
The only viable option was immediately obvious – to shoot at 5 am, when hopefully most of the clientele had had enough, though in Montana, one can never be sure. Normal drinking hours don’t apply in this state.
As it was, we were okay and the bar owner agreed to keep the neon lights on for us. e next issue was simply that when we were in position, it was around -20 degrees – fine for the wolf, but a little chilly for California’s Josie Canseco.
She is, however, a trooper and we got the job done. My narrative was simply that the couple had hooked up inside the bar and were rushing home. e wolf certainly looks like he has a smile on his face – who can blame him.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 56" x 61" (143 cm x 155 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 72" (171 cm x 183 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 37" x 41" (94 cm x 105 cm)
- Framed: 48" x 52" (122 cm x 132 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.
Cindy's Shotgun Wedding
Nevada City, Montana, 2019
You don’t get a second chance to work with Cindy Crawford, so there was obviously a little pressure. I took her to a place I know well – the ghost town of Nevada City, Montana as I hoped familiarity with the light and the angles would help me. I needed as many variables under my control as possible on an ambitious story line. The one thing we could not manage or predict was the weather and last week it was cold.
If Cindy was outside her comfort zone with the temperatures so low and a big wolf as a companion, she did not flinch. She is professional, stoic and game and it was an honour to work with a true American idol. She sets a high bar on so many levels.
It was a big effort for her to fly from LA to hang out with me and my team whom she had never met before and then work in freezing temperatures with some big wolves. She never complained and took no fee at all. Quite amazing.
Proceeds from the sales of this image – Cindy’s Shotgun Wedding – will go towards her notable charity work – focused on raising money for children with cancer. She nailed the image and I think everyone will agree she looks fantastic.
I am very fortunate that she trusted me to do this and I am humbled by her professionalism and grace.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 20
- Image: 56" x 88" (143 cm x 224 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 99" (171 cm x 252 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 20
- Image: 37" x 58" (94 cm x 148 cm)
- Framed: 48" x 69" (122 cm x 176 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.
Bonnie and Clyde
Butte, Montana, USA – 2020
I had the great fortune to meet Warren Beatty in LA and was totally in awe. Since then I have always wanted to find a picture that I could cheekily name after one of his big films. After this day in Butte, Montana, I had my chance.
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. They were known for their bank robberies, although they preferred to rob small stores or rural gas stations. Their exploits captured the attention of the American press and its readership during what is occasionally referred to as the “public enemy era” between 1931 and 1934. They are believed to have murdered at least nine police officers and four civilians. They were killed in May 1934 during a police ambush.
Bonnie and Clyde – the 1967 American biographical crime film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the title characters – was a landmark film and won two Oscars.
It is considered one of the first films of the New Hollywood as it broke many cinematic taboos and for some members of the counterculture, the film was considered to be a “rallying cry”. Its success prompted other filmmakers to be more open in presenting sex and violence in their films.
Warren Beatty, who produced the movie, always wanted to make the film in black and white, but Warner Bros rejected the idea. It still made the studio 40 times its investment. My little ode to Warren is very much in black and white. The wolf does him proud and Kate Bock makes for an excellent modern-day Faye Dunaway. Meanwhile, Butte remains how it was left in the 1930s.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 56" x 76" (143 cm x 193 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 87" (171 cm x 221 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 12
- Image: 37" x 50" (94 cm x 127 cm)
- Framed: 48" x 61" (122 cm x 155 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.
American Hustle
Montana, 2019
It was by pure chance that we found this treasure trove of a saloon bar off a remote country road in Western Montana. Time appeared to have stood still for over 100 years and as an authentic “Final Frontier” canvas on which to tell a story, I have never seen a better room in which to work. There was not one hint of modernity and the wooden and leather finish to the pool table was absolutely remarkable. The attention to detail throughout the bar was exceptional – the Bucking Horse is a labour of love for its owner – a true mountain man called John Crane.
48 hours before Cindy’s arrival, we spent a morning in the bar exploring every angle. The window light was okay, but the ambient light was marginal and it was clear we only had one angle to work with as I could not shoot towards the two windows. Luckily, with my maximum wide-angle lens, we could, from the chosen position, include enough of the bar to do it justice and also major on the pool table – which was the standout feature of the saloon.
The next question was what to do? This is an outstanding location and we needed to do it justice. We knew that the pool table would be critical and if we were to bring a wolf into the mix, he would need to be involved in the game.
On the day of the shoot, Cindy killed it – she was such a presence and that was exactly what I asked for. She owns the bar with her sovereign and authoritative look. I wanted to create a final frontier vignette that had a menacing overlay – no out of towner is coming into this territorial bolthole, playing pool and leaving with the cash. It is Wild West American hustle.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition Size: 20
- Image: 56" x 76" (143 cm x 193 cm)
- Framed: 67" x 95" (171 cm x 242 cm)
STANDARD - Edition Size: 20
- Image: 37" x 56" (94 cm x 143 cm)
- Framed: 48" x 67" (122 cm x 171 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.