The myth and ethos of the West lives strong even today in American culture. The lone gunman of the west stands tall as an enduring symbol that people strive towards. The history that we try to live is a double-edged knife that cuts both ways, however. These paintings strive to build up and undercut, live into and criticize the american west as a force in our history that is both a powerful story of American ideals and a fundamentally flawed American character study.