Thom Ross tells a story on every canvas his brush touches. The stories are not only rich and imaginative but also reshape and challenge viewers’ understanding of the American West.
In his new exhibition, on view starting June 23 at Hemmings Gallery in Ketchum, Idaho, the artist’s new body of work reimagines the world of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, the legendary touring spectacle that helped define how America and the world imagined the frontier. The show, titled Thom Ross: New Paintings Inspired by Buffalo Bill’s Wild West,offers a bold and contemporary vision of the renowned spectacle in his signature style.
Thom Ross, Annie Oakley, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in.
On the evening of July 3, an opening reception will be held with the artist in attendance from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Debuting on the eve of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the exhibition arrives at a moment of heightened reflection on American identity, memory and myth.
“The West we think we know was staged, performed and retold long before we ever saw it. I’m interested in that space—where fact and fiction blur, where reality becomes myth. And how Cody seemed to move with ease from one to the other,” says Ross.
Founded in 1883 by William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, the show became one of the earliest and most influential global exports of American culture through touring across the United States and Europe, introducing millions to a fictional vision of the West.
Thom Ross, Venice, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 in.
Ross’ painting brings the atmosphere and energy of the arena to life. Through expressive brushwork and dynamic compositions, he captures high drama and introspective moments. Beneath the show’s allure, Ross also manages to reflect the layered and complex narratives embedded within it. The works in this exhibition weave together the myth and reality of the American West and reveal a nuanced perspective of a defining chapter of American history.
In his paintings, Ross doesn’t simply revisit the past; he reexamines and takes it apart. In doing so, he invites viewers to consider how and why the mythology of the West was created, performed and sold as reality to the masses.
“After more than 50 years of painting, Thom Ross has developed a visual language that is instantly recognizable and immediately engaging, but it’s the depth of storytelling, the ideas he unearths beneath the surface that stay with you,” says Hemmings Gallery owner Edward Hemmings.
Thom Ross, Night Show, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 in.
Prior to this exhibition, Ross captured the Buffalo Bill phenomenon in his 2008 installation Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West troupe at San Francisco’s Cliff House. In his latest works, he approaches the subject from a new angle, using period images as a launch point to dive deeper into the performance, memory, invention and enduring visual power of the West.
“Hemmings Gallery has long admired Thom Ross’ ability to bring historical material into the present with intensity, wit and emotional charge,” says Hemmings. “This new series feels especially timely. It connects American spectacle, national mythology and the image-making machinery of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West to a moment when the country is again thinking about how it tells its own story.” —
Hemmings Gallery 340 Walnut Avenue » Ketchum, ID 83340 » (208) 254-1097 » www.hemmingsgallery.com
Powered by Froala Editor
