The West on Horseback

FROM THE UW ART MUSEUM COLLECTION

January 19 – July 31, 2021

Boyle Gallery

This exhibition explores various representations of an iconic and enduring symbol of the American West: the horse. In the 19th century, some artists from the East ventured westward to work as cowboys and ranchers. Collectively, they created a romanticized vision of the region through beautiful landscapes and rugged scenes of ranch-life, often featuring wild stallions or their equine work partners. The use, companionship, and admiration of horses in the West has remained a constant, though many contemporary artists working in the region recontextualize the creatures within the modern landscape. The assemblage of these images complicates the idea of a single, unified Western vision as contemporary works challenge the viewer’s preconception of the horse and the West itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funded through the generosity of the Roy & Caryl Cline, Dave Bostrom, and the UW Board of Trustee’s Strategic Projects Funds.

 

Images: 

 

Martin Grelle (American, b. 1954), Goin' for Supplies, oil on canvas, 20 x 29 inches, gift of the E.G. Meyer Family, 2020.6.14  

Holly Roberts (American, b. 1951), Blind, 2013, acrylic paint, photograph on panel, 28 x 37 inches, gift of  the artist, 2017.14.6 

Rygh Westby (American, b. 1949), October Snow, 1981, oil on canvas, 19-1/2 x 29-1/2 inches, gift of Mr. Al Wolfe and Dr. Helen Wolfe, 1982.119