Beau Simmons American, b. 1990

Artist Journal Entry:
Massive structures of sandstone perfectly framed the mittens in the middle, way back in the distant valley. Just along the border of northeastern Arizona and southeastern Utah lies Monument Valley. A place filled with enormous skylines and epic landscapes. Water is very limited out here. Only certain times of the year, thunderstorms and monsoons bring relief to the dry and barren red-sand desert. Dust and wind shape the surrounding formations through erosion over time, which has given them their unique and out-of-this-world appearances. Even though most of the park is accessible to tourists, it still has its secrets etched into various corners of the monument.

While setting up for this project, I contacted the tribal council and visitors center to obtain permits that would allow us to trailer our own horses into the valley and set up these compositions for a series of artworks. The horses had to get their blood drawn before our visit, documenting a negative report for Coggins, along with regulations that had to be met, including trailer size, number of people in our party, film permits, and a local Navajo guide to be there at each location. It really was quite challenging to set everything up, but in the end completely worth it. This photo was taken in the back of the monument near a place known as The Window overlook. We unloaded the horses and began planning how far ahead I would need the cowboys on horseback to be, where the landscape would dominate their scale, leaving a final image full of epic proportions that reflected the beautiful sandstone formations in the distance. Once they began walking away from me, equally spaced apart, I had two photos left on my roll of film to make this shot happen. The colors of the desert came to life as the sun poked out from a cloud that hovered over our heads, leaving us all amazed by the rich tones of copper and orange surrounding us. This place never ceases to amaze me, even after the dozens of times I have spent exploring its beauty. To me, this final image reflects the West through and through. Giant formations form guardian-like structures serving as a gateway to the unknown. A passageway into the vast desert where our imaginations run wild.