Cowboy Kate by Sam Haskins, created in his Johannesburg studio and published in 1964, follows a fictional heroine through a stylized Western narrative, blending cinematic storytelling with bold explorations of the photographic nude. Emerging from the rapidly modernizing cultural climate of the 1960s, the project both mirrored and contributed to evolving perceptions of sexuality, femininity, and the artistic potential of photography.
Against the backdrop of the sexual revolution and a decade saturated with aesthetic experimentation, Haskins' work resonated deeply. As a South African photographer operating from what was likely Africa’s first modern freelance advertising studio, Haskins was already known for his visual inventiveness. Cowboy Kate & Other Stories, the second book in his 1960s figure-themed trilogy, advanced his vision with a liberated aesthetic that echoed the era’s appetite for expressive freedom and visual storytelling.
At its core, Cowboy Kate interrogates themes of beauty, youth, and narrative form. Haskins reimagines the nude not as passive or ornamental, but as expressive and confident. The fictional character of Kate is portrayed in a lyrical series of adventures that blur fantasy and folklore, allowing the book to operate as a visual tale open to personal interpretation.
Visually, the project is expressed through high-contrast black-and-white photography, characterized by a deliberate use of grain and blur to suggest movement and emotion. The mood is theatrical, often playful, with dynamic compositions. Haskins deployed low-key lighting or backlighting to sculpt form and atmosphere, using chiaroscuro effects and light halos to add emotional depth to his images. The interplay of soft tones and stark silhouettes shaped a world that is both lyrical and bold.
Upon release, Cowboy Kate won the Prix Nadar and quickly gained acclaim for its narrative structure and graphic elegance. Selling nearly a million copies worldwide, it became one of the most referenced photobooks of the postwar era, influencing figures from Steven Meisel to Sofia Coppola.
