The Cowboy, Reconsidered: the enduring myth of the cowboy is a richer, more diverse story than most understand. In this survey, some of the most important artists working today take up the cowboy through the lens of queer, Black, Asian, and Latinx perspectives.

Perhaps no other figure in the American popular imagination conjures the respect, mystery, and adoration than that of the cowboy. And it’s long been a favorite subject of artists from the early twentieth century to today. In this unique exhibition and accompanying catalogue, the cowboy is explored in depth from diverse perspectives and lived experience, ushering in a new vision for this long-standing pop icon.

Director Nora Burnett Abrams considers the cowboy through historical perspectives, breaking down the myth and mystique. In an extended interview, curator Miranda Lash talks with queer Latinx artist rafa esparza who considers the vaquero (the Spanish term for cowboy) in his work. And Jongwoo Jeremy Kim explores issues around masculinity in Asian American cowboy communities.

Artist List:
Amy Sherald, Deana Lawson, Wendy Red Star, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Cruz Ortiz, John Baldessari, Mel Chin, Alex Da Corte, Angela Ellsworth, rafa esparza, Karl Haendel, Luis Jiménez, Kahlil Joseph, Grace Kennison, Yowshien Kuo, Laurel Nakadate, Richard Prince, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Ana Segovia, Stephanie Syjuco, Kenneth Tam, Ken Taylor, Salla Tykkä, Andy Warhol, and Nathan Young

About The Author

Nora Burnett Abrams is Director of MCA Denver. Miranda Lash is Chief Curator at MCA Denver. Jongwoo Jeremy Kim is Associate Professor of Art History and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University.