Transcendent, Wild and Free:
“Transcendent, Wild and Free” celebrates the resilience of transgender individuals in the Wild West. Featuring historical figures like Alice Baker, Harry Allen, We’wha, Charley Parkhurst, and Regina Sorenson, this piece honours their diverse contributions and authentic lives.
Annie Oakley VS. Lillian Smith:
“Annie Oakley VS. Lillian Smith” delves into the destructive nature of women’s rivalry in the workplace, as seen through the tumultuous relationship of these two talented performers in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Their competitive dynamic ultimately led to Smith’s downfall, highlighting the consequences of women being pitted against each other in male-dominated industries.
Old-Time Roots:
This piece celebrates the banjo’s displaced and forgotten history as a beautiful product of the African diaspora. It features the first iteration of the banjo (the gourd banjo), the transitional “Minstrel banjo,” and my central protagonist playing a more contemporary (circa 1858) 5-string (but still fretless) banjo “clawhammer” style. “Old-Time” refers to the predecessor of Bluegrass.
Real Cowboys Cry:
Real Cowboys Cry is a cheeky poster collage of vulnerable cowboys shedding their big ole’ alligator tears and letting themselves “feel.” This piece intends to subvert the image of “true manliness” and the prevalent “stoic cowboy” archetype.
Horse Power:
A set of three spot illustrations (I. The Posh Pacer. II. The MVP—Most Valiant Pony. III. The Veteran Voyageur) that playful dive into the perspective of the heavy-lifting horses who play second fiddle to their infamous riders.
“No Damsel” Brewery:
A series of label designs that celebrate historical women of the West who defied stereotypes. “Doc’s Orders” honours Susan “Doc Susie” Anderson, a pioneering frontier physician; “Wild at Hart” features the defiant bandit queen Pearl Hart; and “Vaquera” pays tribute to Johanna “Chona” July, a fearless horsebreaker who challenged traditional gender roles in her field.
Trials and Turmoil of the Wildly Unsanitary West:
“Trials and Turmoil of the Wildly Unsanitary West” revolt against the clean, sanitary, romanticized depictions of “roughin’ it,” often depicted in contemporary Westerns. Instead, it embraces the disgusting, raw and unconventional beauty of what it truly means to struggle in the wild, untamed wilderness.
Desert Windigos:
Desert Windigos is a portrayal of Indigenous folklore in a Wild West setting, showcasing the terrifying and tragic transformation of human beings into bloodthirsty monsters known as Windigos. Drawing from Algonquian oral traditions, this piece explores themes of isolation, starvation, greed, and the dark aspects of human nature.
Cardsharp (Rou Garou):
“Cardsharp (Rou Garou)” depicts the Métis Rou Garou (a willing shapeshifter often taking the form of a black wolf). This piece highlights the character’s duality, embodying both the cautionary tale of a monster and the cunning of a trickster hero. Rou Garou’s ambiguous nature, portrayed here as a “Vegas Cowboy,” blends elements of wildness with a love for cards and gambling, inviting viewers to ponder the spectrum of interpretations Rou Garou evokes.
Outlier Rodeo
“Outlier Rodeo” boldly illuminates the unexplored and marginalized people and narratives of the Wild West, casting aside antiquated genre conventions to reveal the raw, diverse, and kick-ass stories often overshadowed by mainstream portrayals.
