The West

Acclaimed photographer Richard Phibbs turns his unique eye for beauty westward. The West, his second book, is an extremely personal view of the beauty and authenticity of the place and its lingering hold on our national consciousness. Once more Phibbs collaborates with Alfredo Paredes, Executive Vice President, Ralph Lauren, his partner in his first monograph, Chasing Beauty.

Phibbs's love of the West came naturally. He was born in Calgary, Alberta, home to Canada's Calgary Stampede, one of the world's great rodeos. The landscapes of Phibbs's childhood are the background of his most evocative and authentic images: stark plains and endless prairies, weathered barns and fences, an empty horizon rolling to an open sky. This minimalism rooted in nature shaped Phibbs's aesthetic from the beginning.

Peopling the western landscapes of his childhood was that archetypal hero, the cowboy. Phibbs's modern cowboys are sensitively rendered; looking into their eyes, you connect with decades of tradition while experiencing an electric shock of immediacy.

Phibbs's artful images -- iconic portraits of cowboys, horses as wild and free as the wide-open spaces, a dog working its herd with skillful grace, a saddle weathered with work and time -- find their deserved setting in Paredes's careful editing, with comparisons and contrasts that amplify each photo's emotional resonance. With the eye that brings Ralph Lauren's vision to life in stores and showrooms around the world, Parades crafts a book that is, truly, a tribute to the American spirit.

First, he chased beauty. Now Phibbs chases the legend.

Richard Phibbs brings an artist’s eye to every photograph he takes -- in advertising and editorial, fine art, and his personal work. His work has appeared in major publications worldwide. He has shot advertising campaigns for iconic brands like Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, and Calvin Klein. His fine art photography is in the private collections of many notable collectors. Phibbs’s portraits present varied subjects -- from Meryl Streep to Rafael Nadal, from Beyonce to Bernard-Henri Levy. Phibbs is also an experienced director. He is currently working on a project that he filmed in Turkey. Phibbs’s passion is photography. His provocative book, Chasing Beauty, published in 2010, highlights a decade’s worth of work from his archive. Phibbs’s compassion for his longtime causes -- animal rescue and children with AIDS, are his inspiration. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society of New York. Richard Phibbs was born and raised in Western Canada. He lives in New York City.

Alfredo Paredes is Executive Vice President of Global Creative Services, Polo Store Development and Home Collection Design Studio. He is known for bringing Mr. Lauren’s cinematic vision to life in Ralph Lauren stores around the globe and leading Ralph Lauren Home’s creative direction, design, and advertising. Parades passionately serves on the National Board of Trustees for Design Industry Foundation Fighting Aids (DIFFA) and sits on The Empire State Pride Agenda’s Board of Directors. Parades was born and raised in Miami, Florida, attended the Art Institute of Atlanta, and currently resides in Manhattan and East Hampton, New York.