|
The West! The Great American West! These words stir visions of a familiar yet exotic region that symbolizes the essential American spirit and character. But where, exactly, is the American West? The American West is usually defined as the land west of the Mississippi. But this ignores the existence of earlier "Wests." The western frontier, once located in eastern states like New York, retreated constantly before the tide of new settlers. Hundreds of years later, the West is more firmly located in our imaginations than in one particular geographic region.
Just as the definition of "The West" is not fixed, Western Art itself cannot be so easily defined. Both artists who paint western scenes, and artists who are native to "the West" have been inspired by the inherent beauty and mythology of the land. Through these linked and sometimes overlapping perspectives, we can view the West in new ways, not bounded by traditional notions, and perhaps gain an expanded appreciation of the America, Americans, the American West, and Western art.
The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is the only western art museum located in the region responsible for launching the westward movement. The Museum's permanent art collection juxtaposes historic cultural objects and contemporary Native American art with more traditional views of the West. It ranges from early explorer artists to famous landscape painters. Art by Frederic Remington and Charlie Russell are centerpieces of the collections as are early western illustrators.
|
|
|
|
