1983
Like the cowboys who were often the focus of his work, Kurt Markus’s photographs are imbued with a quiet strength. The acclaimed contemporary American lensman was universally known for his poignant black and white images, each one an intimate glimpse into the lives of their subjects.
Markus was born in 1947 in Whitefish, which is in rural Montana. Though his early childhood was spent outside, he knew that he didn't want to be a rancher. He attended the United States military academy West Point and served in the Army Rangers, but he realized the military was also not for him. Instead, he taught himself photography and fell in love with the craft.
Markus is best known for his moving photography of American cowboys. One of his books of cowboy photography, Cowpuncher, was named the best art book of the year by the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2002. Markus also trained his lens on the sport of boxing, photographing world champions like Mike Tyson in addition to lesser-known competitors all around the world, from Havana to Dublin.
Markus was a successful and distinguished fashion photographer as well, working with publications like GQ, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Elle, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. His long list of clients included the names Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne and Armani. One of the most influential images of his career, Young Man, Y’s for Living, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1988, was initially used in a fashion advertisement for Japanese design icon Yohji Yamamoto.
No matter what he was photographing, Markus was resolutely traditional in his technique. Even as digital photography became more common, he remained in the darkroom developing silver gelatin prints. He strove to keep the process simple and free of gimmickry.
Markus received numerous accolades over the course of his career, including Life magazine’s Alfred Eisenstaedt Award and several Clio Awards. His work has been exhibited at the Staley-Wise Gallery in New York City, the Obscura Gallery in Santa Fe and the Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica.
In 2013, Markus settled with his wife in Santa Fe, where he focused more on landscape photography. He died in 2022.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of original Kurt Markus photography.
Pat's City Bar, Mosquero, New Mexico
By Kurt Markus
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is signed by the photographer. Please see additional editions listed below. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Silver Gelatin
CO Bar Ranch, Flagstaff, Arizona
By Kurt Markus
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is signed by the photographer. Please see additional editions listed below. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Silver Gelatin
Bert Ancell, Bell Ranch, New Mexico
By Kurt Markus
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is signed by the photographer. Please see additional editions listed below. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Silver Gelatin
Oro Ranch, Prescott, Arizona
By Kurt Markus
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is signed by the photographer. Please see additional editions listed below. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Silver Gelatin
Oro Ranch, Prescott, Arizona
By Kurt Markus
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is signed by the photographer. Please see additional editions listed below. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Silver Gelatin
YP Ranch, Tuscarora, Nevada
By Kurt Markus
Located in New York, NY
Please see additional editions listed below. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Silver Gelatin
Paul's Bar, Taos NM
By Gerard Giliberti
Located in East Hampton, NY
Title: Paul’s Bar, Taos, NM Size: 21” x 14” Edition: 1/5 Medium: Archival Pigment Print Price: $550 Printed to Order Also available in 20"x30" Edition of 10 $725 Gerry Giliberti is...
Archival Pigment
Domino Players, Lawn, TX - Cowboys, Bar, Western, Texas, Games
By Chris Regas
Located in Denton, TX
Domino Players, Lawn, TX by Chris Regas is a black and white gelatin silver print of cowboys playing dominos at the back of a bar. Gelatin Silver Print 8 1/2 x 11 3/8 in. Signed on ...
Silver Gelatin
Moonglow, Walsenburg, Colorado
By Teri Havens
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Last Light There is solace in the night. I find it comforting when the sun finally slips away, taking with it the expectations and disappointments of the day. Darkness shrouds th...
Platinum
Jeffery City, Wyoming
By Teri Havens
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Last Light There is solace in the night. I find it comforting when the sun finally slips away, taking with it the expectations and disappointments of the day. Darkness shrouds th...
Platinum
Royal Motel, Highway 66, Elk City, Oklahoma
By Steve Fitch
Located in Sante Fe, NM
In reading the introduction of his first book Diesels and Dinosaurs, Fitch paints a vivid image of a young version of himself speeding down a two lane highway in back of his father's...
Silver Gelatin
Motel, Highway 66, Holbrook, Arizona
By Steve Fitch
Located in Sante Fe, NM
After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1971 with a bachelors degree in anthropology, and while teaching photography at the ASUC Studio on the Berkeley camp...
Archival Pigment
The French photographer transformed everyday encounters into enduring images of shared experience.
The image, shot for a designer's ad campaign, feels like a scene from a real-life Alice in Wonderland tea party.
