At some point in the history of the Western art genre there was a removal of the artist capturing the scenes and happening surrounding them and was replaced with the more fictional tales of the west. With help from the enthusiastic collectors and art connoisseurs residing in the eastern United States, the western genre began to take form. It is an interesting form of art because there is just as much fiction as there is fact. The western genre began to embody the ideas that we recognize today. Where men are rough, rugged and chivalrous. Vicious outlaws mingle with proud pioneers at a rowdy poker table and disputes are settled with a gunfight. All while surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and tumbling tumbleweeds. The early western painters paved the way for the phenomenon known as the, “Imagined West”. Their artwork made appearances in national magazines and other popular publications. The eager masses gobbled up the imagery and helped build the “Idea of the West”. These ideas of the mystical and Wild West became solidified as the mass production of dime novels emerged in 1859 by Beadle’s Novel Publishing House.This says a lot for the depth that the Wild West had permeated popular society. There was enough documentation or collective opinion to generate tall tales or factual stories ( it is hard to say which trumps the other) about the happenings of the land beyond the Mississippi. Whether factual or fictional, the mass persuasion and shared recollections of the west is what peaked Cyrus’ curiosity.
Cyrus studied graphic design in school and was fascinated by the power mass produced print products can have on forming the identity of the west. While studying art, Cyrus was also working at an antique store that exposed him to vintage documents and publications that set him on a path to study the widely distributed work. Cyrus’ work is not created in a classical western style. Instead, he uses classic ideas and commercial style to capture and manipulate the “Imagined West”.
When I sit down to start a painting it is a time of reflection. I take a moment to think about my understanding of the universe and how its mysteries flow around in a chaotic swirl we call consciousness. The art is a way to slow the current to a standstill so that just for a moment, we can catch a passing glance of something just below the surface.
My art has evolved over time. As I grow more comfortable in my station in life I find that my paintings tend to reflect my curiosities. I ask myself, " How do you paint a state of awareness, and how do you do it using a cowboy?".
I find my work to be guilty of not staying true to the western narrative, but instead utilizing western imagery to play out broader ideas of our world. There can be a happy balance of these two states. Creativity through careful selection and limited tools. Some of the best things in life came about by combining two unrelated ingredients. Like peanut butter and jelly.
