Ivan McClellan’s photography highlights the overlooked history of Black cowboy culture
Photographer Ivan McClellan has reframed the cowboy narrative through his evocative documentation of the Black rodeo community
Ivan McClellan attended his first Black rodeo by chance in 2015, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Entranced by a world he had not known existed, the Kansas-born photographer began documenting Black rodeo culture across America. His intimate portraits and thrilling action shots have raised the profile of Black cowboys, a group largely written out of history by mainstream media. His work captures the energy, swagger and solidarity of the Black rodeo circuit, from the adrenaline-fuelled athleticism of a bullfighter in the arena to the camaraderie of a multi-generational audience watching by the barbecue grills, “blasting hip-hop and singing gospel music; frying chicken and doing the Cupid Shuffle in the dirt”.
In this article, McClellan discusses disrupting stereotypes, the allure of the American west and subverting accepted notions of cowboy culture.
“I saw young Black men riding horses with no shirts on and gold chains. Some of them were wearing basketball shorts and Jordan trainers and talking trash to the other riders. I saw older men with sharp Stetsons and pinky rings, wearing shirts so starched you could hear them crunch when they moved their arms; women riding horses at 40mph around barrels with long braids blowing behind and acrylic nails clutching the reins. People were cooking turkey legs, listening to gospel, hip-hop and blues while dancing in the dirt with cowboy boots on.
It was so different from anything I had watched before. This rodeo was cool, energetic and unapologetically Black.
The American cowboy is an archetype that represents our noblest qualities: independence, grit and integrity. The cowboy is a working-class hero that is drilled into our consciousness through cinema, music and storytelling. Reconsidering this archetype as a Black person is powerful and disruptive.
This rodeo was cool, energetic and unapologetically Black
Many photographers have chosen the American west as their subject matter. You can focus on the land, the animals, the hardworking men and women in these environments. What stood out to me, however, was what people were wearing and what was happening around the rodeo; the preparations and rituals. You can get a plate of fried catfish, barbecue, smoked turkey legs. There is soul and R&B music playing, and the audience is singing along. It’s a powerful celebration of America and Black independence.
Through this project, I have become deeply involved in these people’s lives. I hope others are curious to learn more than what they’ve been told. There are Black, white, native, gay and Hawaiian rodeos. So many races and cultures contribute to this lifestyle and I hope my work helps to highlight this.”
