Search www.rolandmiller.com with Google!

The romantic ideal of the Western United States has long fascinated artists. The imagery and icons of the western lifestyle are as much a part of the American visual idiom as the monuments and architecture of Washington D.C.

Photography has been instrumental in propagating the romanticized image of the western life. After beginning to debunk the romantic heroism of warfare, Civil War photographers such as Alexander Gardener and Timothy O’Sullivan helped shape the idealistic vision of the West through their expedition photography. More recently, photographer William Allard documented the disappearing cowboy way of life in his book, Vanishing Breed.

Living and working as a forest ranger in the West, I witnessed the rapid changes in the western ethos from the mid 1970s until the turn of the century. Over the past quarter century, urbanization, industrialization, population growth, recreation demands, and other societal influences have increased while at the same time, the influence that industry and ranching exert over the West has changed little. These divergent stresses are affecting and altering any remnants of the western legend.

Returning to live in the Midwest allowed me a new perspective on the changes taking place in the West. My goal with this body of work is to explore the lifestyles and cultures filling the void left by these changes. The title for this project is a reference to the obvious fact that there is no real West, but an idealized view. By juxtaposing romanticized western iconography and themes with contemporary western scenarios, I am attempting to disassemble this idealized view.

                                                                               Hudson, Shoshoni, Wyoming

This body of work is produced entirely with digital technology. Not only does this echo the changing culture I am investigating, but it also allows me to work in a more reactive mode. In contrast to my silver-based photographs, most of the images included in the Real West are handheld exposures. In order to give the images a more mythical presence, I am slightly manipulating the mid-tone saturation, while keeping the highlights and shadows neutral. The prints are produced using archival paper and pigment–based ink sets. All images in this series were produced from 2003 to the present. To this point, Real West includes images from Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.

                                                        Crazy Cowboy Bar, Hell's Half Acre, Wyoming