Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture

Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture, Photographs by Ivan McClellan, offers an inside look at Black cowboy culture across the United States in the 21st century.

'A stunning visual celebration of black rodeo' - Walter Mimms, The New York Times Book Review.

In 2015, photographer Ivan McClellan attended the Roy LeBlanc Invitational in Oklahoma, the country's longestrunning Black rodeo, at the invitation of Charles Perry, director and producer of The Black Cowboy. Over the next decade, McClellan embarked on a journey across the nation, crafting a multi-layered look at contemporary Black rodeo culture for the new book, Eight Seconds. Whether photographing teen cowgirl sensation Kortnee Solomon at her family's Texas stables, capturing bull riding champion Ouncie Mitchell in action, or kicking it with the Compton Cowboys at their Los Angeles ranch, McClellan chronicles the extraordinary athletes who keep the magic and majesty of the "Old West" alive with high-octane displays of courage, strength, and skill. The book's title refers to the sport of bull riding - athletes must stay on a bull for eight seconds while it bucks and the more hectic the ride, the higher they score. Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture, Photographs by Ivan McClellan creates a bridge between present and past through sports, community, and love of the land.

'A convert to Black rodeo, the Kansas City, Kan., native understands that its stated purpose — eight seconds on an angry animal — conceals a whole world of tailgating, parading, mucking, rehearsal and style. ' - The New York Times
'Because the photos are presented without places or dates, this respectful and revealing book can reasonably be taken as a portrait both national and timeless: an ur-text for the recent rodeo turn of Beyoncé, or the heady western meditations of Jordan Peele.' - CN Traveler
'While visually striking and exuding a warmth and comfort possible only after years of interaction, the photos are effective in part because they challenge these long-held notions about who partakes in the sport and what the rodeo lifestyle looks like in the 21st century... He offers an insider’s view, capturing the addictive energy of the sport and the rich sense of camaraderie it fosters.' - Colossus
'..taken over almost a decade - shows his [Ivan McClellan's] fascination with the skill, athleticism, courage and style of the black cowboys keeping the magic and majesty of the 'Old West' alive' - i-paper

Ivan McClellan (b. 1982, Kansas City, KS) is a photojournalist and designer based in Portland, Oregon. McClellan has collaborated with western brands like Wrangler, Stetson, and Ariat to elevate Black rodeo athletes, ranchers, and farmers on their platforms. He has also led creative projects for Apple and Instagram. McClellan has exhibited works from Eight Seconds in museums and galleries nationwide including Booth Museum Griffin Museum of Photography, as well as his first solo exhibition at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in 2022. His work has been published in Washington Post, ESPN, Elle, i-D, Dazed, and Atmos, among others. McClellan was selected to the 2022 PDN 30.

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