Boom Town
West Texas – 2025
“I am far from alone in my fascination with what life must have been like in an early 20th century boom town, whether the boom was in gold, copper, silver or oil. The Westerns and period dramas we watch on our computers, or indeed in cinemas in the good old days, paint a dark picture of men with disposable moral fibre and transient communities, where life is cheap and true friendships rare.
There seemed very little by way of law and order and every day could well be an individual’s last. Cowboy capitalists mingled with snake oil salesmen and a whole host of other cartoon characters with no compass as to what was right and what was wrong. These were avaricious, single-minded communities where vice did not lie under the surface – it was right there in main street.
That makes for good material for a storyteller. I think Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 – shot in the copper boom town of Butte, Montana – conveys all the right vibes.
The Texas Oil boom between 1900 and the depression, catapulted Texas from a rural farming state, to one of America’s most industrialised, in just one generation. That could not have come without many stories.
Texas was and always will be the spiritual home of the cowboy: the custodian of the last frontier; the emblematic figurehead of Americana. How exactly did they fit into the oil boom when their life was cattle and ranches?
My sense is that they would have fitted in seamlessly and added some dignity, work ethic and class to the whole affair. Cowboys are pragmatists.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes
Large - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 47” x 103" in (119 cm x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 62” x 118” in (158 cm x 300 cm)
Standard - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 36” x 77” in (91 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 51” x 92” in (130 cm x 134 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.
Boom Town (Colour)
West Texas – 2025
“I am far from alone in my fascination with what life must have been like in an early 20th century boom town, whether the boom was in gold, copper, silver or oil. The Westerns and period dramas we watch on our computers, or indeed in cinemas in the good old days, paint a dark picture of men with disposable moral fibre and transient communities, where life is cheap and true friendships rare.
There seemed very little by way of law and order and every day could well be an individual’s last. Cowboy capitalists mingled with snake oil salesmen and a whole host of other cartoon characters with no compass as to what was right and what was wrong. These were avaricious, single-minded communities where vice did not lie under the surface – it was right there in main street.
That makes for good material for a storyteller. I think Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 – shot in the copper boom town of Butte, Montana – conveys all the right vibes.
The Texas Oil boom between 1900 and the depression, catapulted Texas from a rural farming state, to one of America’s most industrialised, in just one generation. That could not have come without many stories.
Texas was and always will be the spiritual home of the cowboy: the custodian of the last frontier; the emblematic figurehead of Americana. How exactly did they fit into the oil boom when their life was cattle and ranches?
My sense is that they would have fitted in seamlessly and added some dignity, work ethic and class to the whole affair. Cowboys are pragmatists.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes
Large - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 47” x 103" in (119 cm x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 62” x 118” in (158 cm x 300 cm)
Standard - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 36” x 77” in (91 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 51” x 92” in (130 cm x 134 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.
Bison Oil and Gas
West Texas – 2025
“Slightly unintentionally, this tableau greedily features four of the most emblematic symbols of 20th century Americana: the bison; the cowboy; the Ford Model T and oil derricks. Each have played their role in the growth of the country and in ensuring that the American dream has legs.
This photograph was taken in a boom oil town site we built in West Texas, which is appropriate as the vast Permian Basin is one of the reasons why America is self-sufficient. The Permian alone looks after 20% of American daily oil demand.
For over 100 years now, the oil industry has been at the heart of the economic success of Texas and anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that this is unequivocally something to celebrate. I am delighted that Taylor Sheridan did exactly this, in his own inimitable way, with his highly watchable series Landman.
The history of the oil industry, and the history of the world in the last 140 years, are difficult to decouple; it remains the world’s most important commodity and the character rich industry is often played out in some of the world’s more off beat locations. That is why we are drawn to it with our storytelling, there is a rich amount of material, especially if we go back in time and make it a period production.
The bison has, of course, also played a major role in American history. There have been some dicey moments for this mammal in the West, but all is now good and I thought it would be a fun prop to include on set. Bizarrely we have got to know a very charming guy in Denver who owns a business called Bison Oil and Gas – so we were left with no choice for the name of this photograph.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes
Large - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 45” x 103" in (114 cm x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 60” x 118” in (152 cm x 300 cm)
Standard - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 34” x 77” in (86 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 49” x 92” in (124 cm x 134 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.
Bison Oil and Gas (Colour)
West Texas – 2025
“Slightly unintentionally, this tableau greedily features four of the most emblematic symbols of 20th century Americana: the bison; the cowboy; the Ford Model T and oil derricks. Each have played their role in the growth of the country and in ensuring that the American dream has legs.
This photograph was taken in a boom oil town site we built in West Texas, which is appropriate as the vast Permian Basin is one of the reasons why America is self-sufficient. The Permian alone looks after 20% of American daily oil demand.
For over 100 years now, the oil industry has been at the heart of the economic success of Texas and anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that this is unequivocally something to celebrate. I am delighted that Taylor Sheridan did exactly this, in his own inimitable way, with his highly watchable series Landman.
The history of the oil industry, and the history of the world in the last 140 years, are difficult to decouple; it remains the world’s most important commodity and the character rich industry is often played out in some of the world’s more off beat locations. That is why we are drawn to it with our storytelling, there is a rich amount of material, especially if we go back in time and make it a period production.
The bison has, of course, also played a major role in American history. There have been some dicey moments for this mammal in the West, but all is now good and I thought it would be a fun prop to include on set. Bizarrely we have got to know a very charming guy in Denver who owns a business called Bison Oil and Gas – so we were left with no choice for the name of this photograph.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes
Large - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 45” x 103" in (114 cm x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 60” x 118” in (152 cm x 300 cm)
Standard - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 34” x 77” in (86 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 49” x 92” in (124 cm x 134 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.
Cattle and Oil
West Texas, Texas – 2025
“This tableau is an empathic love letter to Texas. The two industries most associated with the Lone Star State are ranching and oil and I wanted these distinct ways of life to coalesce as if Taylor Sheridan had merged two of his visually rich productions into one. Ask 1000 US high school kids which State I am celebrating in this photograph and I would expect that 98% would say Texas. The dissenting 2% may need to get off social media and do some more homework.
We built this 1920s oil boom town set in ranchland in West Texas and over a period of 48 hours I toyed with the most powerful layers of narrative. My default approach is to focus on the foreground and then let the background look after itself. A cattle herd brings dynamism, but also a lack of compositional control; the precise movement of the lead longhorns – even with the most skilled of cowboys – cannot be directed and therefore I am gambling.
Days like these can be frustrating as we are not in a studio and the light is changing all the time. There tends to be just a small timeframe in which the magic must happen. I don’t think there is a formula for success other than employing the very best people and then learning very quickly from mistakes on the day.
The feature closest to the camera is key; a weak first layer often kills a tableau like this. But on this occasion the lead longhorn is strong and glues the composition together. That, of course, is pure luck. We have never met before and he had no idea what I was looking for.
Texas is a unique part of America – it is a State that will always do things its own way and that’s what makes it so special. As a Scotsman who has been made to feel so welcome in Texas, this picture is important to me. It has become a home away from home.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes
Large - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 42” x 103" in (107 cm x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 57” x 118” in (145 cm x 300 cm)
Standard - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 32” x 77” in (81 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 47” x 92” in (119 cm x 134 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.
Cattle and Oil (Colour)
West Texas, Texas – 2025
“This tableau is an empathic love letter to Texas. The two industries most associated with the Lone Star State are ranching and oil and I wanted these distinct ways of life to coalesce as if Taylor Sheridan had merged two of his visually rich productions into one. Ask 1000 US high school kids which State I am celebrating in this photograph and I would expect that 98% would say Texas. The dissenting 2% may need to get off social media and do some more homework.
We built this 1920s oil boom town set in ranchland in West Texas and over a period of 48 hours I toyed with the most powerful layers of narrative. My default approach is to focus on the foreground and then let the background look after itself. A cattle herd brings dynamism, but also a lack of compositional control; the precise movement of the lead longhorns – even with the most skilled of cowboys – cannot be directed and therefore I am gambling.
Days like these can be frustrating as we are not in a studio and the light is changing all the time. There tends to be just a small timeframe in which the magic must happen. I don’t think there is a formula for success other than employing the very best people and then learning very quickly from mistakes on the day.
The feature closest to the camera is key; a weak first layer often kills a tableau like this. But on this occasion the lead longhorn is strong and glues the composition together. That, of course, is pure luck. We have never met before and he had no idea what I was looking for.
Texas is a unique part of America – it is a State that will always do things its own way and that’s what makes it so special. As a Scotsman who has been made to feel so welcome in Texas, this picture is important to me. It has become a home away from home.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes
Large - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 42” x 103" in (107 cm x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 57” x 118” in (145 cm x 300 cm)
Standard - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 32” x 77” in (81 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 47” x 92” in (119 cm x 134 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 Golden Age of Oil
Marathon, Texas – 2023
This photograph, taken against the setting sun in West Texas, has such a broad range of colours that we decided it was best to print it that way. I am a believer in the reductive virtues of monochrome, but to calm down the orange glow in this image would be seen as an artistic error.
There is a great deal going on in this vignette and we are proud of its creation. The four hoofs emphatically off the ground, the dust created by the hoofs, the back lit gusher and the oil worker all coalesce with a fortunate ease. With so much going on, there was always the possibility of a tension point somewhere, but we got away with it. I think there is also a palpable sense of place, reinforced by the cactus plants. This is Texas.
We can all only imagine what drilling was like 10 years ago, but old imagery informs how tough the work was. This was an industry dominated by tough men conditioned to long shifts with little comfort. They played a material role in the history of America.
Move forward a century and there are many eco warriors who frown on the oil industry. Their hearts might be in the right place, but they should not and cannot airbrush history. The discovery of oil in America so long ago played an integral role in both World Wars and the evolution of the free world.
Texas would not be Texas were it not for oil and cowboys and that has been true for five generations. I think this photograph is a visual celebration of a unique way of life and one that locals can rightly be very proud of.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 60" x 56” in (152.4 cm x 142.2 cm)
- Framed Image: 75" x 71” in (190.5 cm x 180.34 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 40” x 37” in (101.6 cm x 93.98 cm)
- Framed Image: 55” x 52” (139.7 cm x 132.08 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.
1905
Marathon, Texas – 2023
In our research for the oil set we were building in West Texas, we tried to find prompts from old monochrome pictures of early oil derricks. This type of computer work appeals to me, whether wearing the hat of an amateur historian or indeed a photographer. Historical black and white images from the Wild West of 120 years ago or more have long had a pull on my visual sensibilities and I am proud to own two original Edward Curtis portraits.
Cameras 120 year ago were operationally limited at every level, and no more so than when trying to freeze action. It dawned on me that if we were to build a set based on our understanding of wildcatting in the early years of the 20th century, we could then use that set to take the actions shots that were simply impossible to capture in the era to which we were playing homage.
My leaning was to be as immersive as possible and have action across the frame. I just hadn’t seen this concept played out in a still image and that encouraged me. Of course, we took hints from Paul Anderson’s Oscar winning movie There will be Blood and in particular the scene when oil was struck for the first time. My sense was that there would be a degree of panic in the crew amidst all the excitement and that panic must be conveyed.
The irony with this photograph, is that despite everything that is going on, and our current anxieties about drilling for oil, there is beauty and romance. The story is a good story and that will always be so. Without oil, where would we be now?
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 56” x 81” in (93.98 x 205.7 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 96” in (180.3 cm x 243.8 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 37” x 53” in (93.98 x 134.6 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 68” in (132.1 cm x 172.7 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.
I’M AN OIL MAN
Marathon, Texas – 2023
Despite our acute awareness of the environmental harm of carbon omissions, there is something incongruously appealing about the early days of the oil industry. It is difficult to articulate the reason for the appeal, but perhaps it’s because we warm to pioneers and people who risk it all to follow their dream. Daniel Yergin’s 1992 Pulitzer winning book – The Prize – told the story of the petroleum industry from 1850 to 1990 and became so acclaimed that it was translated into 14 languages. In the 900-page classic there was enough insight to satisfy the scholar. But it was his narratives on the colourful personalities in the history of oil that captured the interest of the public. The further back in time, the more these protagonists played to the lore of early prospectors. The early days of oil were a treasure trove for storytellers.
Film makers such as Paul Anderson with There will be Blood and now Martin Scorsese with the highly anticipated Killers of the Flower Moon homed in on the nascent US oil production industry in the years before and after the First World War. Both films focus on the dangers of avarice and the merciless pursuit of wealth in thinly governed frontier towns.
Scorsese used my old Texas buddy – Ty Mitchell – as a most convincing bad guy in Killers of the Flower Moon and I knew I wanted him on this set – despite the fact his day rate has moved north now that he is known to work with Marty.
My plan was to use the base of the derrick in West Texas as a platform on which to play a parody of those early dirty days of wildcatting and I knew Ty would kill his look. He is as authentic as they get and we like authenticity. Meanwhile, I asked Texas local Roxanna Redfoot – who we regularly cast – if she minded getting soaked in oil, partly because I knew she would say “bring it on” . I needed the vignette to be elevated by the characters and not be just an action oil shot.
Sometimes a creative idea just comes together and works better than ever imagined. This is very much one and huge credit goes to those four Texans for what they went through for a photograph. It certainly has the wow factor.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 56” x 86” in (93.98 x 218.4 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 101” in (180.3 cm x 256.5 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 37” x 57” in (93.98 x 144.8 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 72” in (132.1 cm x 182.9 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.