Bowdoin College Museum of Art |

Preview image of work. gelatin silver print, Fort Worth, Texas 9406

1983.29.2.13

Recommend keywords

Help us make our collections more accessible by providing keywords to describe this artwork. The BCMA uses the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus to provide consistent keywords. Enter a keyword in the field below and you will be prompted with a list of possible matching AAT preferred terms.

Fort Worth, Texas

Export record as: Plain text | JSON | CDWA-Lite | VRA Core 4

Artist

Garry Winogrand (New York City, New York, 1/14/1928 - 3/19/1984, Tijuana)

Title

Fort Worth, Texas

Creation Date

1974

Century

20th century

Dimensions

11 in. x 13 15/16 in. (27.9 cm. x 35.4 cm.)

Classification

Photographs

Creation Place

North America, United States, Texas

Medium and Support

gelatin silver print

Credit Line

Gift of Michael G. Frieze, Class of 1960

Copyright

This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s Copyright Terms and Conditions.

Accession Number

1983.29.2.13

Fort Worth, Texas, nicknamed “Cowtown,” began as a single outpost at the edge of the frontier, and expanded with the development of the cattle industry. In the mid-1970s photographer Garry Winogrand documented Fort Worth’s annual Stock Show and Rodeo, which dates back to 1896. Winogrand belonged to a movement of post-World War II photographers who captured the complexities of American society rather than idealizing it. This photograph of a man attempting to control a rodeo horse gives a sense of imbalanced energy, a common characteristic of Winogrand’s work. Winogrand’s photograph underscores the mythic role of cowboys in present day American culture. By capturing Americans’ fascination with the cowboy, Winogrand demonstrates their enduring significance as part of a modern American identity. This image explores an occasion where ordinary citizens imitate the legendary cowboys of the past, even if just for a weekend.