Welcome to the Orange West
2017
Welcome to the Orange West examines the historical and cultural events that shaped Westward Expansion in the United States at the turn of the 20th Century. Through the lens of abandoned and decaying advertising littering the landscape along Route 66, the exhibition focuses on the sociological factors surrounding Manifest Destiny. Contrasted with renderings of historical moments central to the formation of the American West, the works explore the ways in which the United States has been shaped by, for better and worse, a deeply nostalgic relationship with Westward Expansion and the idea of the pioneer.
Most particularly, the drawings speak to the juxtaposition between history and nostalgia. We are in the midst of a cultural moment that sees many Americans hoping to return the country to their own individual understanding of its past; Welcome to the Orange West is an exploration of that past, and how our fascination with its glamour continues to shape decisions that affect our future.
A huge thank you to the University of Oklahoma Western History Collection for the archive research.