Kurt Markus began his photography career capturing the landscape and life of the American West and has gone on to explore a wide range of subjects, including music, sports, celebrity, travel, journalism, and fashion. Works by Markus were recently gifted to the Tang Museum and are currently on view in the exhibition Borrowed Light: Selections from the Jack Shear Collection. Join us at 5:50 pm Thursday, April 21, for a special evening with an artist exploring his work.

Kurt Markus (b. 1947) is a self-taught Santa Fe-based photographer originally from rural Montana. Markus was a writer and editor for Western Horseman magazine before pursuing a career as a photographer. Influenced by his native Montana, Markus became well known for his photographs of life in the American West, and imagery of western cowboys, horses, and landscapes continue to play an important role in his work.

Markus’ work has been featured in numerous galleries, museums, advertising campaigns, and print publications. He has created advertisements for Armani, BMW, Sony, Calvin Klein, Nike, and others. His photographs have appeared in most major print publications including New York Times Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and GQ, to name a few. He has published three books presenting his work on the American West: After Barbed Wire (1985), Buckaroo (1988), and Cowpuncher (2000). Additional publications of his work include Dreaming Georgia (1990) in tribute to Georgia O’Keeffe, Boxers (1998), and Dune: Edward & Brett Weston (2003). Additionally, he has directed and shot music videos for Tori Amos, Jewel, and John Mellencamp, and written two screenplays.

This is a free and public event made possible by the generous support of The Alfred Z. Solomon Residency, which brings notable scholars, artists, and critics to Skidmore to address a wide range of issues in the visual arts.