Naked Cowboy 1980

Curator: This painting is titled "Naked Cowboy," crafted by Derek Boshier in 1980. It resides here at Tate Britain. What are your first thoughts? Editor: Stark. There's an almost aggressive directness in the figure’s presentation and stance. The materiality feels deliberate, perhaps even crude in its application. Curator: Interesting. Boshier's work often engages with celebrity and cultural icons. Think of the "cowboy" figure. It can evoke American mythology, masculinity, power. But then, stripped bare, quite literally... What does it say about the image of the cowboy? Editor: The nudity definitely subverts the myth. And I wonder about the actual making. Is it the application of paint, almost hasty in places, that gives it this raw feeling? There is something about labor and intentionality here. Curator: Yes. Considering its social and historical moment, I wonder if it critiques the romanticism surrounding those figures of American authority during a period of political and social upheaval. Editor: It certainly feels anti-heroic. It’s in Tate Britain which provides a new layer: is Boshier reflecting the influence of US cultural on the UK and questioning its implications? Curator: Precisely. And the painting itself becomes a stage upon which these power dynamics play out. How are institutions like the Tate implicated in all of this? Editor: Good point. The way it is now hung becomes a part of how the artwork is consumed. One of the effects, maybe even intention, is this sense of unease... an unveiling in multiple senses. Curator: Definitely an artwork that leaves one with lingering questions. Editor: Questions about labor, performance, and representation. Yes, plenty to think about.