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.
Welcome to Texas (Colour)
Alpine, Texas – 2025
“Much of my work is preconceived and we tend to start a day’s filming with a set of solid ideas in mind. Other filmmakers may prefer a more freewheeling approach and to let the magic happen spontaneously, but that can be extremely risky as ideas don’t tend to come on demand.
Searching for creative ideas is not like ordering room service when the hotel guest asks for food as soon as he or she is hungry. The best ideas for photographs tend to come when the camera and the mind are firmly decoupled.
The premise for this photograph, however, only emerged as the sun started to set at Alpine airport in West Texas.
It was totally spontaneous; I certainly would never have conceived of making a picture with these extreme dimensions. This is a total one off for us.
But the whole image just works and works well. The aesthetic beauty of both the World War II bomber and the West Texas skyline, complement the cowboys who help evoke a sense of place. There had to be symmetry for the concept to work and my cowboys followed my directions with precision. Without the balance and the perfect bookends, there was no picture.
We would like to thank General Ron Fogleman – a decorated Vietnam veteran – for being the driving force behind delivering this aircraft to an unfamiliar airport in a remote part of West Texas. We love filming in this part of America because Texans, by and large, tend to make things happen as opposed to finding reasons why they should not.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes
Large - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 27” x 103" in (69 cm x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 42” x 118” in (107 cm x 300 cm)
Standard - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 21” x 77” in (53 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 36” x 92” in (92 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.
Welcome to Texas
Alpine, Texas – 2025
“Much of my work is preconceived and we tend to start a day’s filming with a set of solid ideas in mind. Other filmmakers may prefer a more freewheeling approach and to let the magic happen spontaneously, but that can be extremely risky as ideas don’t tend to come on demand.
Searching for creative ideas is not like ordering room service when the hotel guest asks for food as soon as he or she is hungry. The best ideas for photographs tend to come when the camera and the mind are firmly decoupled.
The premise for this photograph, however, only emerged as the sun started to set at Alpine airport in West Texas.
It was totally spontaneous; I certainly would never have conceived of making a picture with these extreme dimensions. This is a total one off for us.
But the whole image just works and works well. The aesthetic beauty of both the World War II bomber and the West Texas skyline, complement the cowboys who help evoke a sense of place. There had to be symmetry for the concept to work and my cowboys followed my directions with precision. Without the balance and the perfect bookends, there was no picture.
We would like to thank General Ron Fogleman – a decorated Vietnam veteran – for being the driving force behind delivering this aircraft to an unfamiliar airport in a remote part of West Texas. We love filming in this part of America because Texans, by and large, tend to make things happen as opposed to finding reasons why they should not.“
-David Yarrow
Available Sizes
Large - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 27” x 103" in (69 cm x 262 cm)
- Framed Image: 42” x 118” in (107 cm x 300 cm)
Standard - Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 21” x 77” in (53 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 36” x 92” in (92 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.
Take My Breath Away (Colour)
Alpine, Texas – 2025
“Few movies have had such an impact on popular culture as Tony Scott’s Top Gun. Released in 1986, the film became a cultural phenomenon and gave a material boost to both US Navy and Air Force recruitment. It remains Tom Cruise’s biggest box office success, with inflation adjusted sales of nearly $500m against a modest budget of just $15m.
The film is also remembered for the character Charlie played by Kelly McGillis. In a male dominated environment, she ruled the roost. Berlin’s song, Take My Breath Away, which won an Academy award for Best Original Song,
became synonymous with the movie.
Her impact in the movie was central to my thought processing at Alpine Airport in West Texas when I took this photograph. I needed my model – Holly Graves, (who is in fact Texan) – to own the frame, and I think she does exactly that.
It’s not breaking new ground to couple femininity with the contours of a vintage aircraft. Norman Parkinson introduced this creative formula 70 years ago. I think the challenge is to get the composition and the scaling right. There needs to be a balance between the two key subjects.
We would like to thank General Ron Fogleman – a decorated Vietnam veteran – for making this project possible by bringing his A-26 Invader to West Texas. This was no half-hearted Hollywood prop; the plane participated in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.”
-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 69” in (86.5 cm x 196 cm)
- Framed Image: 49” x 84” in (125 cm x 234 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.