Yarrow’s novel compositions, such as ‘Crazy Horse’ feature Montana landscapes, cowboys, wildlife and world-class American models, and are now on display at Big Sky’s Creighton Block Gallery. PHOTO COURTESY OF CREIGHTON BLOCK GALLERY
BIG
SKY – When London-based photographer David Yarrow decided to venture to the
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, he didn’t opt to photograph the idyllic, caddis
fly-strewn summer images of the region. Instead, Yarrow traded classic fly-fishing
images for those that capture a hard and wild, yet beautiful, Montana.
A
portion of his ongoing collection, called “Storytelling,” is now being
displayed at Creighton Block Gallery in Big Sky through the summer months.
A
regular associate of heartthrob movie icons such as Leonardo DiCaprio and
prolific supermodels the likes of Cindy Crawford, Yarrow was on a series of
missions in the name of his work.
One
objective entailed photographing perhaps the most iconic American mammal, the
mighty bison, in a habitat that fossil records indicate is the species’ only
continuously populated haunt since prehistoric eras—Yellowstone National Park.
This project kept in line with Yarrow’s previous endeavors as a photographer,
in which notable and intimate shots of wildlife around the world, particularly
that found in Africa, has earned him international acclaim.
Yarrow
successfully captured these prehistoric beasts on film, their exteriors frosted
by subzero temperatures and cut-to-the-bone winds. These adversities, however,
mean little to the individuals in his photographs; to them, he says, it’s a
part of life.
“Lock
a bison in a large industrial deep freeze for a month and he will come out
laughing,” penned Yarrow in a letter he wrote from a friend’s in Livingston,
which now serves as the forward to a small preview catalogue of his work in the
region. “They have been around for 500,000 years and I fancy they will be
around quite a bit longer.”
The
bison was not the only American icon Yarrow captured; immediately before his
descent into America’s first park, Yarrow shot a series of remarkable images
the artist contends “will stand the test of time.”
Much
like the shaggy behemoths, the Montana cowboy is grizzled, time tested and invariably
interesting to the outsider. Juxtaposed with Venusian beauties like Crawford,
“a true American idol,” wrote Yarrow, and models Josie Canseco and Roxanna
Redfoot, the deep, leathery creases on their faces, grease-splattered garb and
tobacco smoke-stained facial hair all but scream stories from a life still very
much like that experienced by the continent’s first frontiersmen.
Supermodels
and cowboys: That’s how America does it. But Yarrow made sure to throw in some
additional American icons, as well as lions, grizzly bears and wolves, for
added effect.
The
work rendered from these novel compositions of Yarrow’s “Storytelling” collection
is anything but ordinary, much like the unordinary state, in an unordinary
region, of the unordinary country in which they were shot. Currently featured
in a swathe of galleries worldwide, from Los Angeles to Oslo, Norway, including
Big Sky’s very own Creighton Block, it’s hard to argue that they won’t indeed
stand the test of time.
This
is particularly evident when one studies a piece like “Once Upon A Time in The
West,” in which Canseco, clad in lavish white furs, casually sits next to a
wolf in the front seat of a Chevy Impala convertible; behind them, the Crazy
Mountains north of Bozeman backdrop a sprawling dirt road.
‘Once Upon a Time in the West,’ like all of his ‘Storytelling’ pieces, underscores Yarrow’s desire to break the mold. PHOTO COURTESY OF CREIGHTON BLOCK GALLERY
A
handful of Yarrow’s “Storytelling” pieces loom large on the walls of Creighton
Block, which was selected to display the work through a bit of serendipity.
“I
received a phone call from a friend in Virginia City who’d gone to work for
him,” said Colin Mathews, a co-owner of Creighton Block Gallery. “They told me a famous British photographer
wanted to have a presence in Big Sky and visit our gallery.”
Mathews,
along with Gallery Director Courtney Collins, met Yarrow at a dinner party the
photographer hosted in March at the Gallatin River Lodge; the Brit had rented
the lodge for two weeks as a base for himself and the crew.
“We
went down and had a conversation with him about his art and our gallery, and he
came by three or four days later,” Mathews said. “Now we’re in the Yarrow
business.”
His
striking work mirrors his personality, Mathews added.
“He
is truly a wild and crazy guy, to borrow a phrase from Steve Martin, Mathews
said, “a larger than life personality, and such a jolly and artistic fellow.”
Much
of Yarrow’s work is sold to the benefit of conservation efforts around the world,
with a percentage of proceeds from sales going to organizations such as Tusk,
WildArk, YUNA and Natural World Safaris. Proceeds from “Cindy’s Shotgun
Wedding,” which features Crawford and wolf in the same open convertible, but instead
back dropped by a Nevada City saloon and a man adorned a black stovepipe hat,
eye patch and an old-fashioned shotgun held at the ready, will go to raising
money for children with cancer, an ongoing charity mission of Crawford’s.
“A
serious part of his work is for conservation,” Collins said. “He’s selling work
to save the planet.”
Embrace the freedom and
serenity of movement in nature with our rejuvenating morning yoga class on the
Mountain Lawn. Allow the fresh mountain air and gentle guided yoga practice
Event Details
Embrace the freedom and
serenity of movement in nature with our rejuvenating morning yoga class on the
Mountain Lawn. Allow the fresh mountain air and gentle guided yoga practice to
invigorate your day of adventure ahead. Complimentary.Weather
permitting.
Time
June 1 (Saturday) 7:00 am - August 31 (Saturday) 7:00 am
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
Time
June 10 (Monday) 6:00 pm - August 19 (Monday) 6:00 pm
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
Time
June 17 (Monday) 6:00 pm - August 26 (Monday) 6:00 pm
Hike Big Sky is a FREE guided hike for our community and visitors alike. A different trail will be featured each Monday at 9 a.m. Visit BSCO.org for trail description
Event Details
Hike Big Sky is a FREE guided hike for our community and visitors alike. A different trail will be featured each Monday at 9 a.m. Visit BSCO.org for trail description information. Please wear layers, bring water and snacks. Bear spray recommended.
Time
June 24 (Monday) 9:00 am - August 26 (Monday) 12:00 pm