A lone rider on horseback sits in silhouette against a wide-open prairie sky. Upright in his saddle, he is fully poised — watchful yet composed. He’s a cowboy, and this is his domain.
Images like this one by photographer Anouk Masson Krantz are so ingrained in the psyche of just about every Texan that it almost seems odd to reflect on them at length. Abroad, however, such images are still so iconic that they ignite the imagination and fascination of millions of people worldwide.
“Outside of the Americas, this is a culture that sits in the shadows of our consciousness,” said Krantz. “The strength, independence, and perceived freedom of such people, set against rugged, almost impenetrable landscapes captures the imagination in ways that can only be described as the stuff of legend played out in real-time.”
Her current exhibition, American Cowboys, is on view at the Briscoe Western Art Museum and runs through the end of January 2024.
Aside from a few classes at the International Center of Photography, the French-born, New York City-based photographer is largely self-taught and still positions herself as an outsider, despite logging some 125,000 miles chasing her obsession with American cowboy, ranch and rodeo culture.
“As an outsider looking in, Anouk’s perspective on the American West adds a sense of romanticism, myth, fascination and power to her photographs,” said Jason Kirkland, director of exhibitions, collections and education at the Briscoe. “Her ability to capture the resilience of the cowboy and convey it through her art is a testament to the lasting impact and importance of this cultural icon.”
The images presented at the Briscoe — 100 in all — represent several series and comprise Krantz’s largest exhibition to date. They can be viewed through documentary, ethnographic and artistic lenses, said Kirkland.
Some of Krantz’s earliest work was photographing luxury items for Cartier. Despite the drastic difference in subject matter, early aesthetic choices remain in her work including careful framing and use of black and white imagery.
“I shoot in black and white not out of a sense of nostalgia,” said the Krantz. “These images are very much contemporary photography. Black and white imagery is timeless, devoid of distractions, and cuts straight to the visceral and the emotive.”
The exhibition features images from Krantz’s solo travels across the U.S. documenting the lives of cowboys and included in three books: West: The American Cowboy, American Cowboys and Ranchland: Wagonhound.
“For most of the world, cowboys are the stuff of pure myth, of Hollywood billboard personas and pop culture truncation,” said Krantz. “It wasn’t until I set out to document this phenomenon that I realized that ranch culture exists all across the country, from Florida to California, Montana to Texas. It is very real culture, and very much alive.”
