Introduction
The mythology of the working horseman has been woven into the cultural fabric of the Americas since the Spanish Conquistadors brought the horse and the cow to the “New World” in the 16th Century.
In the United States and Canada these horsemen are known as cowboys, in Mexico they are the
charros, in the Ecuadorian Highlands the chagras, in Colombia and Venezuela the llaneros, in Peru
the chalanes and the qorilazos, in Chile the huasos. In Argentina and Uruguay, they are called the
gauchos and in Brazil the pantaneiros and the vaqueiros. Whatever their name, these extraordinary
centaurs share a unique relationship to their land and their animals.
Uruguayan born photographer Luis Fabini's project Horsemen of the Americas presents a unique
body of work that captures the austere life of these men, all the while celebrating their pride in a
fading world that has changed little since its inception. Living among his subjects for months at a
time, Fabini offers a rare insight into each of these diverse groups, capturing their long hours of work
as well as the moments of celebration and repose.
The exhibition will take the visitor on a visual journey winding its way from Patagonia to the
Northern plains of Canada. Each section of the exhibition will present one of the ten distinct groups
through a selection of images, a short text, and a map indicating the areas where each particular
group of horsemen can be found today.
