Ideal Lunar Landscapes

This series of paintings depicts imagery associated with the American West and relocates it to landscapes inspired by science fiction films to create ridiculous relationships between nature and culture. I wonder which cultural assumptions humans will bring with them as they begin to settle off-world spaces like the Moon and Mars. I worry that old ideas of Manifest Destiny and American exceptionalism will be projected onto the new lands that will be explored in the near future. In my paintings, I combine old and new imagery and render each scene as if it were an illustration from a children's storybook about space exploration. This is intended to evoke feelings of nostalgia that I balance by depicting scenes of isolation. I hope my playful approach invites viewers to consider how old romantic notions about the American Frontier might impact the ways humans inhabit and use new lands.