Photographer Kurt Markus 'caught the spirit of the American West'

Jun. 21—Whether it was a photograph of a dune in Namibia or a portrait of a movie star, renowned photographer Kurt Markus approached all facets of his work with what he termed "simple-hearted" curiosity.

Markus, who died June 12 at the age of 75 after battling Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, had moved to Santa Fe in 2013 with his wife, Maria, after many years of visiting New Mexico for work.

"We found our place down here, and it was like wearing a fitted glove," Maria Markus said. "We've been so happy here, and it was our forever place."

Kurt Markus lived in Montana for much of his life. He was born in Whitefish, Mont., in 1947 and later helped raise a family in Kalispell.

He attended West Point and later became a U.S. Army Ranger in Vietnam before pursuing a career in photography.

"When I got out of the Army in the early '70s, I knew one thing — that whatever I was going to do with my life, I wanted to love it and believe in it," Markus is quoted as having said in an artist's biography on a website for Obscura Gallery.

Over the course of his career, he became well known for his black-and-white photography and affinity for the darkroom. His photographs have been featured in a myriad of magazines and ad campaigns, including fashion stills for Vogue and Vanity Fair, and advertisements for companies like BMW and Nike.

However, Markus' love for the American West and his portraits of cowboys are perhaps what brought him the most acclaim.

"Kurt caught the spirit of the American West like no one else has," said photographer Bruce Weber, one of Markus' lifelong friends. "He left behind a lasting record of the West that we won't see done in quite the same way again. He had so much respect for that world — not just the cowboys themselves, but the horses, the saddles and gear, the landscapes. He captured it all."

Markus also sought to pass on his wealth of knowledge and experience to up-and-coming photographers. He worked extensively with Santa Fe Workshops — a photography workshop close to his home — and often gave lectures there.

Reid Callanan, Santa Fe Workshops' founder and director, said Markus was driven to instill a love of classic photography in those he taught and mentored.

"Kurt felt strongly that the photographic print was the ultimate form for anyone's photographs, and that gets kind of lost these days in the digital world," Callanan said. "That inspired him and drove him to really spend as much time as he could teaching and mentoring and having assistants."

Callanan said he regards Markus as "one of the finest gentlemen I have ever met" in his more than 50 years of involvement in the photographic workshop world. The admiration is in large part due to the ways in which Markus treated others.

Markus' wife, who served as his agent and producer for over three decades, said he would always give those seeking his advice — or just hoping for a conversation — his undivided attention.

"When he spoke to people, there was nobody else around, even in a crowded room," Maria Markus said. "It didn't matter who was tugging [him] on his sleeve to come over. He had the time to sit and listen."

Kurt Markus extended this same courtesy and humility to those curating his work. Jennifer Schlesinger, who owns Santa Fe's Obscura Gallery, said when Markus would have a show at her venue, he would give her an "unusual" amount of freedom in regard to how his exhibitions would be curated.

"He just said, 'Do your thing. Pick out what you want,' " Schlesinger said. "He was a mentor to me. He was a friend. He was a business partner. He was so many things to me. Yeah, I'm just gonna miss him."

Maria Markus said one of the best gifts for people to remember about Markus is the "slow and very methodical" way in which he lived his life.

"He always encouraged people just to stop and visit, and if you had a camera in your hand, take a picture," she said. "In this busy, busy world of ours, Kurt made me slow down. He made everybody slow down."

Along with his wife, Kurt Markus is survived by his children Weston, Ian and Jade.