A man isn’t born a cowboy he becomes one

Painted on a wooden gate, found by Davids unwanted in a front garden, Stephen Anthony Davids’ Cowboy engages notions of the hidden, closing, opening, asking us, what else lies behind this heavy metal bolt? His white hat, traditional worn by the most virtuous Cowboys indicates his unflappable morality, while his nose and mouth are hidden behind the archetypal red kerchief.

Davids painting is a tableau of the hidden and the purposefully displayed. Each of our hero’s carefully chosen vestments tell a story that has been etched into our minds through a stream of literature, film and popular culture that started over a century ago. Looking into the distance, our Cowboy sits with his profile to the viewer. His one visible eye half-closed, mouth and nose invisible. As the gate he is painted upon will never be opened to reveal what lies behind, nor will the red kerchief be removed. Like many of Davids’ works this painting possesses an element of self-portraiture, here our Cowboy is enigmatic, unspeaking, still. Through his calculated silence, we are left to grapple with our own interpretation of the Cowboy, who he is, what he means to us, and what lies beneath

Arusha Gallery
6 Percy St
Fitzrovia
London
W1T 1DQ

[ Exhibition ]
3.11 – 18.11.2023

[Private Collection]

MediumOil and house paint on found door Size68cm x 87cmYear2022