Ulrich Eigner
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The Myth of the Cowboy
The Myth of the Cowboy / Studies in Americana #3
Photographing the cowboy I traveled numerous regions of the U.S., all of which differ greatly in their landscape, climate, people, and history. Nonetheless the myth of the cowboy can be found in all these places.
As much as the history of the era of the cowboy has been simplified and imbued with nostalgic ideas the draw of the myth has been growing rather than diminishing. My photographic investigation focuses on the current vernacular moldings and interpretations of the history rather than the historic facts themselves.
The mythic cowboy, a fiction in itself, is an individual who sticks out from the masses by being in control of his life and having direct influence on the world around him. He and his time have come to signify the basic American values of individualism, self-reliance, and independence from forces uncontrollable by the individual.
The appeal of the myth and its value-set has crossed cultural and societal borders. The cowboy of the imagination has become an metaphoric figure for America’s self-concept and has turned into a role model of international caliber. Yet my enticement with the cowboy lies in all the individuals who - based on the cowboy stereotype - impersonate their own personal interpretation of the archaic mythic figure.
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