West Texas, Texas – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“The quiet comfort of being alone on the move, with the sense of security offered by a saddle, were seemingly attractive to cattle drivers heading north from Texas in the second half of the 19th century. Ostensibly, it was a lonely and poorly paid job, conducted in tough conditions, and while the cowtowns at the end of the road offered every vice, the original cowboy’s life delivered little consistent joy. The life imbalances are easier to consume in a modern Taylor Sheridan production than they were when lived out for real.

Louis L’Amour- the doyen of contemporary Western novels – believed that the self-image of the first cowboys was influenced by the “code of the cavalier” that emerged in 19th century writers such as Sir Walter Scott. The commitment to duty, and the sense of pride that became integral to the lore of the frontier cowboys, came from somewhere and L’Amour suggests that it came from stories and folklore passed down the ages.

If he was right, novels such as Ivanhoe have played a material role in the evolution of Americana. The early cowboys were rough, wanderlust characters often possessing no moral compass, but they had a code of honour that history now looks fondly on and this has propelled the cowboy image from a shiftless, unkempt character to the noble good guy and most enduring symbol of the United States.

That extraordinary shift in perception is here to stay and that works for me. To spend time with proper cowboys – as we often do in West Texas – is to immerse oneself in a culture with duty, manners and commitment at its heart. Over and above that, to watch a cattle drive live, in its birthplace, is one of the great spectacles I know.” – DAVID YARROW

West Texas, Texas – 2024

Archival Pigment Print

“This photograph smells of West Texas and that was the intent. I think there normally needs to be a sense of place and a mood for the story within a still to stack up. It’s so dusty in this ranch just 25 miles from the Mexican border and the dust adds a character for free, provided the photographer is prepared to shoot towards the sun in the last hour of sunlight.

But there are logistical issues: firstly, the herd are coming right at my ladder and secondly, the wind direction needs to be right. If the wind is moving in roughly the same direction as the cattle and there is speed to that wind, then not only am I not going to get a picture, I would also be in danger as the cattle would not see me until it was too late.

So there is some amount of maths involved and I think that this is as close as I can responsibly get, even if the
wind is blowing left to right. This is not something to try without the help of good horsemen and the cowboys in Texas are the best equipped in the world to be a photographer’s accomplice.

It is a special place down here and we recognise it. I often refer to some of John Steinbeck’s quotes and I will unapologetically do so once again, as he nails it every time:

“For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study, and the passionate possession of all Texans.” – DAVID YARROW