Edited and sequenced by Miss Rosen. Foreword by Charles Sampson.
Glorious tributes to contemporary Black rodeo culture across America
In 2015, photographer Ivan McClellan attended the Roy LeBlanc Invitational in Oklahoma, the country’s longest-running Black rodeo, at the invitation of Charles Perry, director and producer of The Black Cowboy. “It was like going to Oz—there was all this color and energy,” McClellan says. “There was a backyard barbecue atmosphere … It felt like home.” Over the next decade, he embarked on journeys across America, crafting a multilayered look at contemporary Black rodeo culture. Whether photographing teen cowgirl sensation Kortnee Solomon at her family’s Texas stables, capturing bull riding champion Ouncie Mitchell in action or hanging out with the Compton Cowboys at their Los Angeles ranch, McClellan chronicles the extraordinary athletes who keep the magic and majesty of the “Old West” alive with high-octane displays of courage, strength and skill. The book’s title refers to the sport of bull riding. Athletes must stay on a bull for a total of eight seconds while it bucks; the more hectic the ride, the higher they score. It’s an apt metaphor for McClellan’s devotion to this long-form documentary project, which required him to hone his reflexes, endurance and stamina to get the perfect picture. With Eight Seconds, McClellan honors the highest ideals of independence, integrity and grit with intimate photographs that preserve the deep-rooted connections between people and land. Ivan McClellan (born 1983) is a photojournalist based in Portland, Oregon. His work has been featured in ESPN: The Undefeated and Fast Company. As a designer, he has led projects for Nike, Adidas, Disney and the U.S. National Soccer Team.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
Colossal
Grace Ebert
While visually striking and exuding a warmth and comfort possible only after years of interaction, the photos are effective in part because they challenge these long-held notions about who partakes in the sport and what the rodeo lifestyle looks like in the 21st century.
CNN: Style
Kara Nelson
His camera captures the look of determination as the rider fights to stay mounted, one hand gripping a rope while their free arm swings uncontrollably in the air.
W Magazine
Naomi Elias
“Eight Seconds” aims to celebrate Black cowboys’ history as well as to reclaim it.
F-Stop
Cary Benbow
Eight Seconds’ captures and embraces the lifeblood that flows through a culture that’s been described as a piece of living art. Because of Ivan’s sincere desire to fully integrate himself into the culture, he is able to display this respect in his work with such earnestness. And for that reason, his work has an undeniable authenticity that captures this rich culture.
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Sunday, May 5 at 7 PM, Portland's renowned Powell's City of Books will host Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture photographer Ivan McClellan in conversation with Leon Anderson, President of the multidisciplinary creative agency, Instrument. A book signing will follow the discussion. Signed copies are also available for pre-order at Powell’s. continue to blog
Featured image, titled “Rodeo Queen, Okmulgee, Oklahoma,” is reproduced from Oregon photojournalist Ivan McClellan’s critically acclaimed new release, Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture, published by Damiani. McClellan concludes the book with a letter to the culture that has taken hold of him and changed his life. He writes, “Cowboy culture has always been synonymous with hard times, and I have seen it firsthand in my journey with you. Losing friends and acquaintances along the way, sometimes taking the last photos of people before they were killed or arrested. This life attracts folks with the grit to push past the odds and continue, despite their trauma and pain. When I was young, I could never envision myself as an old man, but now I can quite clearly see myself as an old rodeo boss, perched on the fence, drenched in sweat under the blazing sun, and watching Eight Second [bull] rides until night falls and zydeco music battles the crickets for my ear. As I pass on this legacy to my children, I’m humbled by the realization that it’s a treasure trove that I never knew I had the right to possess, an inheritance lost to me, has been preserved for them. I’m overjoyed that when my kids color a cowboy in their coloring book, they color him brown. I hope they grow up loving you as I have, as this is their birthright, their legacy.” continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 11.25 x 9 in. / 128 pgs / 118 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $49.95 LIST PRICE: CANADA $71.95 ISBN: 9788862088121 PUBLISHER: Damiani AVAILABLE: 4/30/2024 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: NA LA
Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture Photographs by Ivan McClellan
Published by Damiani. Edited and sequenced by Miss Rosen. Foreword by Charles Sampson.
Glorious tributes to contemporary Black rodeo culture across America
In 2015, photographer Ivan McClellan attended the Roy LeBlanc Invitational in Oklahoma, the country’s longest-running Black rodeo, at the invitation of Charles Perry, director and producer of The Black Cowboy. “It was like going to Oz—there was all this color and energy,” McClellan says. “There was a backyard barbecue atmosphere … It felt like home.” Over the next decade, he embarked on journeys across America, crafting a multilayered look at contemporary Black rodeo culture. Whether photographing teen cowgirl sensation Kortnee Solomon at her family’s Texas stables, capturing bull riding champion Ouncie Mitchell in action or hanging out with the Compton Cowboys at their Los Angeles ranch, McClellan chronicles the extraordinary athletes who keep the magic and majesty of the “Old West” alive with high-octane displays of courage, strength and skill.
The book’s title refers to the sport of bull riding. Athletes must stay on a bull for a total of eight seconds while it bucks; the more hectic the ride, the higher they score. It’s an apt metaphor for McClellan’s devotion to this long-form documentary project, which required him to hone his reflexes, endurance and stamina to get the perfect picture. With Eight Seconds, McClellan honors the highest ideals of independence, integrity and grit with intimate photographs that preserve the deep-rooted connections between people and land.
Ivan McClellan (born 1983) is a photojournalist based in Portland, Oregon. His work has been featured in ESPN: The Undefeated and Fast Company. As a designer, he has led projects for Nike, Adidas, Disney and the U.S. National Soccer Team.
