One of the most iconic sports photos of all time is of Diego Maradona raising the World Cup, taken by Scottish photographer David Yarrow in 1986. Argentina had just defeated West Germany 3-2, with team captain Maradona assisting the winning goal. The photo’s subject was hoisted on a teammate’s shoulders, with his arms raised in triumph and holding the Cup in one hand. In the foreground were numerous photographers swarming him to take a good shot.
Yarrow, a university student and freelance photojournalist at the time, described it as “like a biblical scene”. The photo, which was syndicated in various magazines around the world, conferred celebrity status on Yarrow, who would go on to shoot other sporting events such as the Olympics. However, he decided to hit pause on photography as a career after graduating from university, pursuing finance instead, splitting his time between London and New York. While his interest in photography remained, it took a backseat to his job as a hedge fund manager. In 2009, with the hedge fund world in crisis, Yarrow decided to re-immerse himself in the world of photography, focusing on wildlife from all around the world.
David Yarrow
In recent years, Yarrow has focused on telling stories and narratives through his shoots, such as several on the American Wild West. His unique approach to his work earned him international acclaim as a fine art photographer. He also added author and conservationist to his resume, with proceeds from some of his photos and books donated to various wildlife conservation charities.
Almost seven years since his last exhibit in New York City, Yarrow is making his return to the city as the opening exhibition for the new Sorrel Sky Gallery at 419 West Broadway in SoHo. The exhibit will be unveiled to the public on March 8th, with Yarrow making personal appearances on the first three days for events such as gallery tours and book signings. Sorrel Sky is the exclusive representative of Yarrow’s work in NYC and the entire State of New York.
“David has a keen sense to capture images that are both timeless and relevant in today’s world,” says Shanan Campbell, owner of Sorrel Sky Gallery. “Like myself, David has a clear love for the American West, so our partnership in my galleries in New Mexico and Colorado has been wonderful. When deciding to open our third location in New York City, David Yarrow was the only artist I had in mind for our inaugural exhibit. He’s taught me a lot and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
One of Yarrow’s photos to be exhibited at Sorrel Sky includes El Toro, a head-on photo of a fighting bull from Miura Cattle Ranch in Seville, Spain. Founded by Don Eduardo Miura Fernandez in 1847, the ranch produces bulls that are prized as the most dangerous, fierce, and cunning opponents in the bullfighting ring. Miura’s bulls also inspired the logo of the Lamborghini supercars and Ernest Hemingway wrote about them in his novel Death in the Afternoon.
El Toro, by David Yarrow
While he disagrees with bullfighting and refuses to see a bullfight, Yarrow recognizes the impact of bullranching on the region’s culture. He spent time at the ranch and toured Seville with famous matador Eduardo Davila Miura, a descendant of Don Eduardo Miura. Yarrow tells a story about the Andalusian region’s rich history and traditions in the shot, which he took just a few feet away from the raging animal.
Also in the exhibit will be Empire of the Summer Moon, which is named after the novel by S.C. Gwynne that depicts the war between the Comanche tribe and white settlers over the American West. In Yarrow’s photo, Comanche descendant Joaquin Gonzales dons his people’s war garb while rowing a canoe on the Hudson River, juxtaposed against the Manhattan skyline.
On how he feels about New York, Yarrow says: “I love the city. New York is the capital of the world and that surely also makes it the capital of the art world. To be considered relevant, I think an artist needs to be shown in New York. There are exceptions, but not many. It’s tough to gain people’s attention, but it is a meritocracy and I see it as a good thing. If you’re not good enough or different enough, New York finds you out. It also keeps you young. To this day, I find the city humbling – as an artist it makes you realize how you can never sit still. There is only one way forward: attack and get better.”
Yarrow’s work also retains his love for sports with an artistic twist. Haaland features Norwegian football superstar Erling Haaland dressed as a Viking warrior in the waist-deep waters of the fjords of Norway. McEnroe / Borg recalls the iconic tennis rivalry between John McEnroe and Björn Borg, with McEnroe posing with his guitar on the New York subway. Half of the proceeds of this photo will go towards John McEnroe’s philanthropic endeavors.
“I have missed having a presence in NYC,” Yarrow says. “I love the city in the spring. In my mind, the best times to have a show here are in spring and autumn, and Sorrel Sky’s timing for opening in New York this March is absolutely perfect. Downtown NYC resonates with me, as that was where Peter Beard’s gallery, The Time Is Always Now, was located. I lived 200 yards from that place on Broom Street in the early 1990s. I’m looking forward to coming back more frequently to New York, especially to shoot in Manhattan.”
