Anouk Krantz

California Cowgirl by Anouk Krantz 2022

2022

Anouk Masson Krantz is a French fine-art photographer and author based in NYC, best known for her American Western work. Born and raised in France, she moved to NYC in the late 1990s. After years of work in the luxury consumer industry, she left her role at Cartier’s corporate office in New York City in 2001 to pursue photography. Krantz’s carefully selected projects and resulting works compel us to find solace and pause—moments of peace and self-reflection. Her large-scale, minimalistic, black-and-white contemporary photographs draw upon her refined eye to stir one’s emotions and move the soul. Krantz’s photography has received worldwide acclaim and earned her a reputation as the leading cowboy photographer of our time. Her success has blazed a trail for other artists and influenced the recent resurgence of the Western genre in popular culture. Her books have become a global sales phenomenon, sitting atop photography bestseller lists for the past five years. She has collaborated with Yellowstone series creator and director Taylor Sheridan, who wrote the foreword for her book American Cowboys in 2021. The legendary Bernie Taupin, known for writing Elton John’s lyrics, penned the foreword for her book FRONTIER: Cowboys of the Americas. As a woman from outside cowboy culture, Krantz broke barriers. Since 2017, she has worked tirelessly to earn the trust and confidence of the ever private and discreet American ranching world. She gradually became known to the cowboy community and doors across the country opened. Over eight years, she has logged well over 125,000 miles in her quest to reveal the authentic daily lives of the noble American Cowboy. “They would invite me into their homes, share meals and allow me to ride among them. As we began to understand one another, I was accepted as one of them.” Krantz’s photographs have received accolades from the International Photography Awards and International Monochrome Awards. Her work has been featured around the world in publications such as GQ, The Times, L’Oeil De La Photographie, Vanity Fair, Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, and Departures. Anouk is an active supporter of several worthy causes including the American Cancer Society, the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and Build A Nest.