‘When I worked at the store with my dad, I’d often sneak off to the stockyards. Watching the cowboys herd cattle and horses, their ropes spinning effortlessly, left an indelible impression on me. It was a vivid, living image of strength and independence, one that has stayed with me all my life….’
The book opens with a short series of closely cropped black and white images capturing the movement of a charging bull, horse and rider. Although static, these classical monochrome images convey the action unfolding in front of Krantz’s camera. The images that follow are awash with colour—abstract portraits and landscapes reworked with light and a variety of experimental materials from resin to wet paint. The additional layers emphasise the sense of movement and mood, suggesting the sound, heat and intensity of the scene. These images are accompanied by more traditional photographs created by Krantz by choreographing large-scale movements of cowboys and horse herds in remote settings constructing the myth of the American West. The book closes with further black and white images depicting the man-made—a white house in the desert, a bedroom decorated with pictures of horses, a Pepsi sign—and the final frame, a rattlesnake symbolising the volatile, untamed danger of nature.
‘The images in this book are the result of a lifetime of experiences, collaborations, and lessons from family and mentors. They reflect my connection to the American West—a place where survival becomes art and freedom is a way of life… The title of this book, Frontier, represents the boundary between the known and the unknown, a space where I’ve always felt most inspired. Whether in the vast landscapes or the solitary figures of cowboys, I see a metaphor for life itself: navigating the chaos, finding purpose, and embracing the challenge of the unfamiliar.’
Krantz’s photographs often feel familiar. His commercial work for major US brands such as Wrangler and Marlboro have made his imagery synonymous with that associated with the dream of the American West. Widely reproduced anonymously for decades on billboards, in magazines and other media, his photographs have been viewed by millions and are further familarised through their appropriation by artist Richard Prince. Separate from his commercial work, the book presents for the first time Krantz’s unique and personal vision of the harsh beauty of the American West, created over a period of more than 40 years.
The publication of Frontier comes at a time when aspects of everyday life— air conditioning, desk jobs, lack of access to nature and the reliance on the motor car—increase man’s divorce from this way of life. With the number of working farms and ranches in the US in a slow but steady decline, Krantz’s book is a resonant homage to the fast disappearing myth of the American West.
