Artist Nick Turner on how working with problem horses in Wyoming transformed both his art and his outlook.
By Andrew Bradbury
Horses have always figured prominently in artist Nick Turner’s work—from his dynamic, abstract Western-inspired paintings to the austere, sculptural photo campaign he did for a recent Yves Saint Laurent equestrian collection. But an extended period living in Wyoming, immersing himself in working daily with the animal that has so often been his muse, has been life-changing for him. Drawn to so-called “problem horses,” Turner has been documenting his experiences starting colts for an upcoming book project. Living in the West amongst real cowboys, it has also deepened his respect for the realities of the oft-romanticized lifestyle. We spoke to Turner about how working with horses has informed his art, what makes a real cowboy and the silverbelly Shasta he’s become a little superstitious about.
You had a unique, international upbringing. How did it inform your creative pursuits?
I was homeschooled until I was about 14 and we would go visit wherever we studied. I spent most of my life basically traveling around Europe with my mom, who was very intellectual, and my grandmother, who was a painter. I spent a lot of time when I was little in Crete. The sculpture and Greek mythology always had a big influence on me. I also rode horses. I lived briefly in New Mexico when I was six and we actually rode Western at the time. But when I was nine, in Europe, I started doing English riding and eventing. It was natural that I was drawing and painting horses basically since I was a kid.
You’ve explored Western themes and settings in your work, but what made you want to move west to Wyoming, and dedicate so much of your time and energy to working with horses?
I’m more of an artist that doesn’t like to just observe it. I need to participate in the work, to feel like it’s somewhat authentic. I really try to embrace all the different aspects of Western horsemanship. I’ve tried doing some rodeo stuff, a little bit of roping, but really it’s working with the horses, helping to start colts, that’s been the most rewarding.
On a recent Stetson campaign, you not only took photos, you also did a lot of on-set horse-wrangling, impressing everyone with your abilities and demeanor. How have you honed these skills and what’s your approach when helping to start colts?
I always get attached to horses nobody likes. A horse that’s got issues or something, I just kind of try to figure out what their problem is, what they’re scared of, what happened to them and try to work through it. You kind of work on yourself when you’re working with either troubled horses or really young horses. They mirror whatever you are bringing to the round pen. They reflect your own attitude or mood. It really makes you really have to be patient and just makes you kind of a better person. That, in turn, makes me feel like a little bit of a better artist.
In what ways has it affected you?
It’s made me basically a lot more honest about my own work. I used to be more concerned with other people’s critiques of my work or if it would sell. I think the older I’ve gotten the more I get involved with these horses, it’s made me much more grounded and honest about what I’m doing.
“You kind of work on yourself when you’re working with either troubled horses or really young horses. They mirror whatever you are bringing to the round pen. They reflect your own attitude or mood. It really makes you really have to be patient and just makes you kind of a better person. That, in turn, makes me feel like a little bit of a better artist.”
-NICK TURNER
One of your works features the words “WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A COWBOY?” Having lived amongst them, what does.being a cowboy mean to you from your perspective?
I definitely do not consider myself a cowboy. I don’t think I’ve earned the title. There’s a real distinct amount of time, effort and work ethic that goes into it. A lot of the guys have been doing it their whole lives. I think it’s the little things, the-day-to-day things that are pretty thankless that define it. I think it’s the grit of just doing the work, the stuff that has to be done to actually keep everything else functioning. I always look at people’s hands out here to see if they actually have spent any time out here working, because you can always really tell the difference by looking at someone’s hands.
It’s a theme you’re exploring in your book project.
Everyone has their own interpretation of what being a cowboy is. There’s so many different elements to ranching and rodeo and driving cattle or team roping. I have all these sketchbooks and journals and notes from starting colts and working with different people, so that’s it’s not just a western art book, but a personal account of living out here and embracing everything the west has but through an artistic perspective.
And what kind of western hat are you wearing out there?
I have a silverbelly Shasta 10X. I rode two broncs in this hat. I won’t go so far as to call it my “good luck hat,” but I’m definitely a little superstitious about it, so whenever I’m doing something important I wear this one. I don’t think there’s any other brand that I would associate quite as much with cowboys as Stetson. It’s just part of the history of the West.
You’re an avid surfer, and the ocean appears nearly as often as horses do in your work. Is there a parallel between the two that draws you to both?
They both make you be very present. You can’t really be wandering in your head about something completely irrelevant when you’re either going to get on a colt or you’re going. When I get off a horse or get out of the ocean, I’m always a better person than when I got in or got on.
You also have another text-based work that features the word “Horsepower.” What does that word mean to you?
Well, it’s sticking up with something that’s a lot more powerful than you and riding it and feeling that kind of power. But it’s more of a spiritual thing where they’re such a reflection of people and how you’re around them. Horses to me are some of the greatest teachers. They keep you grounded and humbled, but they also really empower you if you bring a good attitude. My interest in their horsepower is how horses really help people.
