Date of Award
Spring 2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts - Art
Department
Art
First Advisor
Danny Anguiano
Second Advisor
Lauren Selden
Third Advisor
Amanda Breitbach
Fourth Advisor
Marlene Kahla
Abstract
Chroma Cowboy consists of eleven canvases wrapped in used feed sacks layered with vinyl to create brightly colored narrative scenes. Pulling from Pop Art colors, cubism shapes and a consciousness of materials, I designed this body of work to give the hard-working cowboys, ranchers, and agribusinesses a way to have their stories told to a larger audience. The strain on ranches due to generational changes, politics and environmental circumstances makes it even more important to document this way of life. I strive to further advance and inform the general public’s knowledge of the unyielding lifestyle and dedication that it takes to maintain a ranch. Using the transparency and texture provided from the inside of each feed bag, there is a conscious visual relationship between livestock and the food that they eat. Mass produced and commercialized feed sacks represent the efforts ranchers have taken to contemporize this way of life and adapt to the ever-evolving economy. The different scenes depict strenuous labor, idealized landscapes, and provide insight to a fading way of life that few get to experience paired with pops of color that entice the viewer.
Repository Citation
Gryder, Jessica, "Chroma Cowboy" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 516.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/516
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
