With his new monograph, I’ve Always Been a Cowboy in My Heart (Yoffy Press, 2019), Sandy Carson joins the shortlist of photographers whose work reveals a way of looking at the world that is both funny and empathetic. Though there are plenty of photographers who possess a sense of humor, it’s a rare talent that can consistently translate it into humorous and witty photographs. For example, Elliott Erwitt, Martin Parr, and Ian Weldon.

I’ve Always Been a Cowboy in My Heart is Carson’s outsider observations of the great American road trip. Born in Scotland in 1972, Carson relocated to Austin, Texas, in 1993 and has lived there ever since. The book is the culmination of a 12-year project that “chronicles his fascination with everyday occurrences in the social landscape,” states the press release, and “explores the spaces between clarity and imperfection.” The final result is an unhindered and personal vision of America that transforms banalities into wondrous absurdities. 

Sandy Carson is a self-taught documentary and commercial art photographer, film maker, musician and cyclist. After moving to the States in the ’90s he travelled the world for 20 years as a professional BMX rider, where he honed his skills a photographer. His work is published and exhibited nationally and internationally and has received many awards. Carson’s long-term photography projects and documentary works are represented by INSTITUTE. 

I’ve Always Been a Cowboy in My Heart
By Sandy Carson
Yoffy Press (2019)

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