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David Yarrow Ferrari II (Colour)

David Yarrow Bad Asses (Colour)

About the Artist

Ferrari II (Colour)
Amboy, California - 2023

"It is rare that we release a picture in colour some time after the monochrome version is unveiled, and it is our preferred practice not to do this. But on this occasion we believe that the colour version of this image stands up its own and it offers something extra. The warm hue evokes a sense of desert heat that lends to the narrative of extreme isolation, whilst the burgundy colouring on the Ferrari is showcased. It works and as soon as I saw it, I knew we had to release it. Of course, the original image has proved very popular - it is our best selling image over the last 2 years.” - David Yarrow

Edition Size: 12 + 3 APs

Framed Sizes:

52 X 54 inches
71 X 74 inches

All prints are on 315gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta Paper and varnished after processing to give both endurance and sheen.

Each is signed, dated and numbered on the front.

Price includes David Yarrow's custom black ash frame, white archival matting and protective UV acrylic.

“In the 1950s, the Californian Dream made Route 66 the most famous road in the world. “The Mother Road”, as John Steinbeck described it in The Grapes of Wrath, became the route of flight for the American Middle Class; a trend accelerated by the rapidly evolving Californian economy and the opening of Disneyland in 1955.

The stretch of road heading east near Amboy in the baking Californian desert showcases the Route 66 journey as it once was. The sense of scale offers the filmmaker a valuable tool kit and I have been drawn to this outpost for many years. It is a commitment of time to get there, but one that many road trippers make because of the iconic Roy’s Motel and Cafe which serves as the one identifiable landmark in a barren desert.

Amboy is a known known and I worried how I could break new ground because like all spectacular vistas in the US, it has been well photographed. The challenge is not in getting there, but in transcending when one does.

I called upon a Hong Kong friend who is a passionate investor in vintage cars and owns one of the most lauded and valuable collections in the world. I explained the shoot concept and he graciously offered up one his most coveted treasures - the 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Vignale Spider. It was one of only 12 built in the world and when one comes up at auction, they sell for more than a London townhouse. His team was kind enough to transport this fabled Ferrari 1,000 miles across the country, but at least when they arrived, they understood the opportunity. It was going to be a trip well made.

The design of the Ferrari was perfect as its low windscreen allowed my lens direct access into the faces of the girl (the wonderful Daniela Braga) and the wolf. They could then hold centre stage and let all the other constituent parts play off each other.

The goal of this shoot was to play on the metaphor that is Route 66. It encapsulates the American Dream, as it was the road of freedom and ambition. Go West, work hard, stay focused and enjoy the very best of lives.

We styled to the mid 1950s and I told Daniela to exude a sense of positivity. She should look, as Nat King Cole suggested, that she was “Getting her Kicks on Route 66”. - David Yarrow
"Bad Asses" (Color)
Kanaan Desert, Namibia - 2024

Edition Size: 20

"This eye grabbing photograph has been in my head for many years. We have taken our fair share of bad ass pictures of girls in cars in America, but I always wanted to extend my reach to Africa and introduce a Mad Max type narrative. Rather than working in the mountains with snow, as we often do, it was time to work in the desert with sand.

I knew my girl for the shot - Cara Delevingne - and I knew that the hugely respected Naankuse Sanctuary in Namibia often work their cheetahs with film crews, and then I also knew the Kanaan desert well. But I needed a central prop to hold the whole idea together. I needed something of substance.

I had long deliberated over building a bar marooned in the middle of the desert. Not just a two-dimensional facade of a bar, but an actual functioning bar, with lights, cooling machines and entertainment.

I confess that there was quite a bit of talking to myself about the risk reward ratio and I became all to mindful of Walt Disney’s famous advice of “stop talking and start doing”. I like to have creative courage and be bold.

So, I threw my fears away and we built our bar in the desert. It is so damn good that we are going to keep it there for tourists to visit and perhaps have a cold Namibian lager. It was not a small building job and six lorries full of wood and corrugated iron made the eight-hour trip south from Windhoek. I have never worked with a more willing bunch of people in my life than the Namibian production team and they had earned the right to be very proud of The Desert Inn.

In a tableau photograph like this, I want to be greedy and broaden the story: the barman and the bushman on the far right are the little details that help. Cara looks sensational and, of course, that split second pose from the cheetah makes the photograph what it is. It is a bad ass shot for sure and it is also a bad ass bar." - David Yarrow