With Yellowstone leading the way and even Beyoncé donning a cowboy hat, a new generation is embracing the Western lifestyle. Now renowned digital artist and painter Jeremy Booth is taking his cowboy turn. 

“Western pop” is how Booth defines his work. “Pop art with a Western flair. Bright colors. Deep blacks. Like Andy Warhol painted cowboys.” Imagine, say, Warhol merged with Billy Schenck.

These are traditional, iconic images of horseback cowboys, cattle drives, gunfighters, and the like that have a timeless appeal. The depiction, though, is anything but strictly traditional. Bright colors juxtaposed with dark shadows often black out faces and lend a certain intrigue. Just who are these cowboys?  

“When we photograph cowboys, most of the time you can’t recognize those guys underneath their hat because of the dark shadows, so I really lean into that,” Booth explains. “I also like the idea of not giving too much detail into the face. That cowboy could be anybody. It leaves it up to the interpreter who it could be.” 

Based in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, Booth, who has been focusing on Western subject matter for two years, works from photographs that he and his professional photographer wife, Tabitha, shoot on their trips to ranches. A friendship with Western artist Robert Hagan paved the way. “He kind of became a mentor of mine,” Booth says. “He said, ‘I’m going out to Kansas, and I’d love for you to come with me—I’ll show you the ropes of how I create reference material and subject matter.’” Booth jumped at the chance and today credits that experience will elevating his artwork and making him feel at home in the genre. “I know in a lot of ways, my style is very different. But in the cowboy and ranching community, I’ve felt very welcome. And I’m very grateful for that.”