A unique aspect of art is how the work of one person can become something universally understood and shared. A single painting, like the Mona Lisa, is studied and loved by generations. A building, like the Colosseum or the Guggenheim Museum, represents a historical period...
What can we learn about our shared region by examining the expressions of others? What historical perspective or peaceful moment does an artist call to our attention? How does an architect design a building that better connects us to our environment or improves our daily...
The West, with its associated myths, history, geography, and development, is an abundant source of creative inspiration. And the expressions and interpretations that come from this region are interesting and endless. Take, for example, the “Western Nouveau” style developed by artist Thomas Blackshear II. With a...
In his book, Under Western Skies, historian Donald Worster writes that “regionalism is about telling differences or it has nothing to tell.” When I read this recently, I thought of WA&A, and how each issue is a collection of creative expressions that point out these...
Although it’s a region, the West sparks creative interpretations that expand far beyond geography or location. The beauty and uniqueness of the landscape itself, visages formed over millennia, have inspired many. But today’s artists and architects find equal inspiration in the West’s culture, myths, history,...
As I write this letter, a few states across the country are slowly reopening after closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The world has been a surreal place for some weeks now, a Twilight Zone of sorts. The pandemic has grounded us. It brought us...
Despite the diverse creative avenues and mediums showcased in each issue of WA&A, this issue, and every issue, is about place. And while it’s generally accepted that the territory lying west of the 98th meridian defines “the West” in terms of geography, the identity of...
In this issue of WA&A, painter Quang Ho explains creativity in a way that sticks with you. He begins his artistic process with careful observation and a desire to convey an experience, “but when the paint hits the canvas, it becomes a whole different visual...
In 1968, author and artist Henry Miller wrote in his book To Paint is to Love Again: “No doubt the painter, studying the face of the sitter whose portrait he is about to do, must be astonished by the things he suddenly recognizes in the...
Many of the artists and architects profiled inside this issue call our attention to the conversations surrounding the “New West,” a term that emerged among a group of academics known as the New Western Historians in the 1980s. Following the societal changes of the 1960s, they...