Frightened Cowboy 1980

Derek Boshier's "Frightened Cowboy" is a painting that strides right into the heart of anxiety using oil paint and a playful palette. The cowboy, all pink flesh and trepidation, seems caught between a blazing sunset and a looming, modern landscape. I get the sense that Boshier was thinking about the clash between myth and reality. What does it mean to be a cowboy in a world of skyscrapers and existential dread? The paint is applied with a kind of raw honesty, each brushstroke a deliberate step in this dance with discomfort. The cowboy's outstretched hand, a gesture of both fear and supplication, really gets to me. I see him reaching out, maybe for help, maybe just for something to hold onto. It’s hard not to think of other artists who’ve wrestled with similar themes, like Philip Guston, who turned to cartoonish figures to confront the darkness. Ultimately, Boshier reminds us that art is often about embracing the unresolved, turning our uncertainties into something tangible, something we can all look at and maybe understand a little better.