A 1940' rose bowl parade saddle made by the B.F. Smith and son's saddle shop in Arkansas. The original saddle is in the collection of Micheal Tesky of Tesky's western wear and outfitters.
My saddle drawings are an homage to the craftsmanship and history of America’s cowboy culture”. Each saddle is unique, like a finger print. Each has not only a utilitarian purpose but is also crafted one at a time with painstaking craftsmanship. Show saddles are individually designed to be as unique as the owner with patterns and decorations that often give clues to the riders personality.
As the winning work in the 2103 Hunting Art prize this is what was said about the work.
Riding high
With guests assembled, eager to hear the judges’ final verdict, Hunting’s Chief Executive, Dennis Proctor, introduced the Prize winner as Marshall Harris for his distinctive ‘Round Up’ B.F Smith & Son Saddlery Circa 1940-1942. Evocatively commemorating the host State’s distinctive and time-honoured traditions, the life-size graphite drawing depicts an intricately designed Western saddle – in the artist’s own words “it is homage to the craftsmanship and history of America’s cowboy culture”.
Accepting the esteemed award, which is the most generous annual art prize for painting and drawing in North America, Harris said “being recognised through this platform is such an extraordinary honour, and I couldn’t be more thankful to Hunting for all they have done to expand and broaden the reach of so many artists through the course of this competition”.
A trained sculptor who recently moved back to the city of Fort Worth following a period in Boston, Harris was stunned by the accolade, describing how he heard about the competition from a friend and had only just started concentrating on the subject of his drawing. Indeed, Round Up was his first attempt at saddle drawing, as he explained “it caught my eye because of the unusual ‘concho’ design (the Mexican terminology for the decorative florettes)”.
Crafting a masterpiece
With both Under and Post graduate degrees in Fine Arts, and extensive experience focused on drawing the human body, Harris was inspired by the personality, the story, skill and detailed workmanship used to create the riding saddles. Describing what led him to pursue this particular line of study, he described how the history of piece provides “the connective tissue” between his entire portfolio of work. Following extensive research, Harris discovered how each is bespoke designed for a particular purpose, depending on its individual use and the unique body shape of the rider, and that every saddle carries its maker’s mark. Although the Round Up saddle’s owner remains unknown, Harris discovered that it was produced in Arkansas circa 1942 and, having traced its lineage, spoke to the granddaughter of its original maker.
Taking a total 12 weeks to finish, the project was not a swift process. This was largely due to the level of detail Harris wanted to depict - “I knew what I wanted it to look like before I picked up the pencil, including how the light fell” - capturing the depth and different textures in almost photographic quality. Set prominently against a stark white background, Harris creates a sharp contrast which draws the eye to his elaborate illustrations of weather-worn nuances, stitches and scuff marks. The piece is also featured within a contemporary brushed metal frame - striking an intriguing balance between the old and the new, as Margaret Winslow discerned, “the beautifully executed drawing—of an object ubiquitous to the state—presents a formal composition and presentation that align well with national and international trends in contemporary art”.
However, despite the length and labour that Harris poured into the piece - which sold immediately on the night - he is only just coming to terms with what winning $50,000 means, admitting “it still seems like a fantasy, not really something I had ever considered could happen to me. I am very grateful and honoured”.
- Framed: 60 x 57 x 2.25 in
- Subject Matter: western saddle
- Reproductions: Available
- Collections: Western Saddle Series (Monochrome)