Cowgirl Position
176 pages
7.5 x 10.5”
Inspired by the fusion of rodeo grit and feminine strength, I created Cowgirl Position as both an archive of feminist cowgirl history and a love letter to my southern roots and inner horse-girl.
Table of contents utilizes a western wood-block-inspired type to allude to a horse bit, and is arranged in a galloping layout.
All of the content for this book was gathered from historical archives, libraries, and used book stores.
I used landscape photography for my chapter dividers to contextualize the historical imagery throughout the book.
The essay headers showcase the tools used in horseback riding, isolated to emphasize their masculine form. One of my main goals for the design of this book was to combine elements of masculinity and femininity, as rodeo blurs the line between both.
I used this image sequence to juxtapose detail images of horses and cowgirls and highlight their similarities.
This precedes a chapter of poetry from the perspectives of self-declared “horse-girls” about their relationship to their horses and identities as equestrians, which I highlighted with yellow paper and large typography.
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I designed these saddle blankets as additional merchandise using imagery from the book. The blankets act as a personal piece of feminist history for modern day riders to carry between them and their horses.
Growing up in Tennessee, I often rejected Southern culture and couldn’t wait to move to a big city far away. Through this project, I was able to revisit the iconography I grew up surrounded by and find a new love for my home.