The visual approach in After Barbed Wire: Cowboys of Our Time is focused on candid and rugged portraits capturing the lives of contemporary cowboys. Kurt Markus presents a raw and intimate look at these figures through black-and-white photography, emphasizing texture and expression.

Thematically, the work explores the enduring spirit and culture of modern western ranch workers, highlighting their connection to tradition amid changing times. The photographs convey a mood of resilience and solitude, examining the cowboys’ everyday realities beyond romanticized imagery.

Published in 1986 by Harry N. Abrams, the 128-page volume offers a concise yet powerful study through Markus’s photographic narrative.