MAIN GALLERY:

Western Values explores the ideas of the ‘Old West’ and aims to re-examine how the West can be visually interpreted now, in terms of both its historical import and its contemporary alignments. Wild West tropes have influenced many contemporary artists who examine the identities we generate through these models of Americanism. The movie & TV industry in particular have spread notions of the old West, and its perceived culture, identity and individualism across the globe and generated a range of stereotypes and of iconic figures. The artists participating in Western Values continue to explore fertile new ground by simultaneously critiquing these narratives of the ‘Old West’ while introducing new stories which reflect a more diverse community and alternative ways of looking at both these histories and current situations.