Scott McFarland
(Canadian, b. 1975)
Reverse Horse
2004
Digital C-print
Edition 6 of 7
Image / Sheet: 41.3 × 49.3 in. (104.9 × 125.3 cm)
Provenance: Monte Clark Gallery (Vancouver, BC)
Executed in 2004, Reverse Horse is a compelling, large-scale work from Scott McFarland’s acclaimed early period investigating human leisure, domesticated nature, and the boundaries of photographic representation. The image depicts equestrian rider Victoria Moes practicing with her horse, Oscar, set against the lush, sunlit flora of a private garden estate. Rendered with extraordinary spatial clarity and rich tonal balance, the work transforms what appears to be a fleeting outdoor moment into a meticulously composed pictorial narrative.
Emerging as a leading international voice following the Vancouver School of photo-conceptualism, McFarland directly challenges the traditional photographic notion of a single "decisive moment". Rather than capturing a single shutter click, he shoots multiple exposures over extended timeframes and seamlessly composites them into a single image. In Reverse Horse, the subtle juxtaposition between rider, horse, and cultivated landscape creates an unnerving, cinematic stillness, inviting the viewer to contemplate how human perception of nature is intertwined with constructed reality.
Over his career, Scott McFarland has earned widespread international critical acclaim. His work has been featured in major solo survey exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Art Gallery of Ontario (Snow, Shacks, Streets, Shrubs). Today, his photographic works are preserved in the permanent collections of elite global institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).
Major Accolades & Institutional Solo Surveys:
Solo Exhibition, Snow, Shacks, Streets, Shrubs, Art Gallery of Ontario / AGO (2014)
Major Retrospective Survey, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (2009)
Major Solo Exhibition, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver (2009)
Featured in landmark group exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art / MoMA (New York) and SFMOMA (San Francisco)
Selected Permanent Collections:
The Museum of Modern Art / MoMA (New York, NY)
The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, CA)
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art / SFMOMA (San Francisco, CA)
Victoria and Albert Museum / V&A (London, UK)
National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Art Gallery of Ontario / AGO (Toronto, ON)
Vancouver Art Gallery (Vancouver, BC)
Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN)
Scott McFarland
(Canadian, b. 1975)
Reverse Horse
2004
Digital C-print
Edition 6 of 7
Image / Sheet: 41.3 × 49.3 in. (104.9 × 125.3 cm)
Provenance: Monte Clark Gallery (Vancouver, BC)
Executed in 2004, Reverse Horse is a compelling, large-scale work from Scott McFarland’s acclaimed early period investigating human leisure, domesticated nature, and the boundaries of photographic representation. The image depicts equestrian rider Victoria Moes practicing with her horse, Oscar, set against the lush, sunlit flora of a private garden estate. Rendered with extraordinary spatial clarity and rich tonal balance, the work transforms what appears to be a fleeting outdoor moment into a meticulously composed pictorial narrative.
Emerging as a leading international voice following the Vancouver School of photo-conceptualism, McFarland directly challenges the traditional photographic notion of a single "decisive moment". Rather than capturing a single shutter click, he shoots multiple exposures over extended timeframes and seamlessly composites them into a single image. In Reverse Horse, the subtle juxtaposition between rider, horse, and cultivated landscape creates an unnerving, cinematic stillness, inviting the viewer to contemplate how human perception of nature is intertwined with constructed reality.
Over his career, Scott McFarland has earned widespread international critical acclaim. His work has been featured in major solo survey exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Art Gallery of Ontario (Snow, Shacks, Streets, Shrubs). Today, his photographic works are preserved in the permanent collections of elite global institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).
Major Accolades & Institutional Solo Surveys:
Solo Exhibition, Snow, Shacks, Streets, Shrubs, Art Gallery of Ontario / AGO (2014)
Major Retrospective Survey, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (2009)
Major Solo Exhibition, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver (2009)
Featured in landmark group exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art / MoMA (New York) and SFMOMA (San Francisco)
Selected Permanent Collections:
The Museum of Modern Art / MoMA (New York, NY)
The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, CA)
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art / SFMOMA (San Francisco, CA)
Victoria and Albert Museum / V&A (London, UK)
National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
Art Gallery of Ontario / AGO (Toronto, ON)
Vancouver Art Gallery (Vancouver, BC)
Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN)
