London Huser’s MFA Qualifier Exhibition paints a cardboard West

University of Wisconsin artist London Huser’s MFA exhibition “I Should’ve Been a Cowboy” opened in the Art Lofts Gallery March 11. The Master of Fine Arts Qualifier Exhibition sees Huser explore her Southwest upbringing and culture, constructing a fantasy world made of cardboard representative of the ideal of the American Wild West, according to Huser.

The exhibition consists of a large artificial Western scape, drawing from Huser’s nostalgic animation hallmarks.

“It is like walking into my own very Western town,” Huser said. “Imagine Max Fleischer golden era of animation, early cartooning was a lot of the direct inspiration for it.”

“I Should Have Been a Cowboy”‘s name references a Toby Keith song of the same name. The show stemmed from Huser listening to the song, impacted by the lyrics of the reverie and fantasy of being a cowboy and its juxtaposition of the reality of the American West’s settlement, according to Huser.

The Exhibit celebrates and tells the stories of the American West, but also subverts towards its harsher realities and history. Huser’s work stems from her upbringing in Oklahoma, specifically growing up around the impact of Western culture. Her experience moving away from Oklahoma and still seeing the impact of the cowboy was a diasporic experience.