Art tells the story of the West
As part of USU’S Department of English Speakers Series, Dan Flores, writer and professor at the University of Montana, gave a lecture titled “Art and Regional Identity in a Western Paradise” Wednesday at the USU Haight Alumni Center.
Flores spoke about how the art of the western United States has progressed and developed in the past 200 years, focusing on the Northwest. He said each region has established cultural differences and art unique to their specific area throughout this time.
“The visual image of the Rockies is currently looked at through a dusty window. I will strive to clear that window up today,” Flores said.
In the early 19th century, artists began the trend of traveling into the northwest region, capturing the imagery there and then leaving, Flores said. Examples of this were George Catlan, Carl Bodmer and Alfred Jacob Miller, who established the traditions the Northwest is known for today, like the great wilderness, wild animals, Indian country and the beautiful romantic landscapes, he said.
Artists would also try to depict historical events in the region such as the journey of Lewis and Clark, the Battle of Little Bighorn, the history of the Union Pacific Railroad and the frontier anxiety, Flores said. An example of this is the painting “Sacajawea at the Big Water” by John F. Clymer, he said.
The time from 1840 to 1860 is considered a lost period in Northwestern art because there were many lost opportunities and artistic works that could have come from that time but didn’t, Flores said. An example of this would be John C. Fremont, who should have taken pictures of or painted the Rockies in his journeys but didn’t, he said. Another example, he said, would be Isaac Stevens who went to look at the land for the railroad coming through. Stevens took pictures but they were burned in a fire at the Smithsonian Institution, he said.
When comparing the Southwest United States to the Southwest, the most important differences can be found in the subject matter, Flores said. In the Southwest, there are the desert lands, faces and customs of the Hispanic people and a strong presence and culture of the Pueblo Indian people, he said.
In the Northwest there is the wide wilderness, a vanishing Indian culture, a history of trappers and traders, the Northern Pacific Railroad, Yellowstone, charismatic animal imagery and the cowboy image, he said. A prominent artist who painted the traditional cowboy image was Charlie Russell, he said.
“The cowboy image can be described as a sort of tribal history for white people,” Flores said.
The history and culture of the West help establish its artistic identity, Flores said. The differences between the art of the Northwest and the art of the Southwest show the unique style of each region, he said.
–monica.swapp@aggiemail.usu.edu