Thursday, December 2, 2010

Untitled (Cowboy)



After looking through the ceramics, sculpture, and paintings, I decided upon a photograph. This photo is by Richard Prince, and it is called Untitled (Cowboy). The photo was taken in 1989. I chose this photo because its basic color scheme and general simplicity caught my eye, and made me feel like I was taking a breath of fresh air.

In Untitled (Cowboy), the viewer can see a bright, cerulean blue sky taking up most of the picture. The sky isn’t clear, however; we can see large billowing pale white clouds going off into the horizon, which is extremely flat. In the foreground is a cowboy wearing a rust-colored shirt and probably blue jeans. He is sitting on a saddle and riding a galloping horse. The horse is beige colored with spots and dark legs.

When I look at this photo, I feel the opposite of the way I feel in New York City. New York City is crowded and gray and there is not much sunshine in the winter, so it can be depressing. In this photo, there are no tall buildings; all I can see is bright sunlight shining on the cowboy, his horse, and the ground around them. The cowboy and the horse look powerful and happy, and they make me wish I could experience a life in a place like that.

In conclusion, the bright, simple colors and the empty landscape in Prince’s photo inspired me because they reminded me of the world outside of New York City. When I see the cowboy, and the way he seems to enjoy life, it makes me want to take a vacation to the Southwest! (275 words)

2 comments:

  1. When I look at this picture, I also think the landscape could be considered beautiful and sunny, but I have a different feeling about the cowboy. I think he could be lonely, perhaps because he is the only person living in that area. Maybe he feels it is his duty to work in this dry, barren territory, even though it doesn't bring him any joy.

    So, I think my feeling about the photo is a little more depressed than yours. ^_^

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