Cowboy Chronicle

Abstract

Sandstone appears cohesive and solid on the surface, yet it is extremely porous. The grains do not fit together as puzzle pieces because of their individual shape. Vast distances separate each grain from the other on a microscopic level. Humanity seeks to compress itself into the more cohesive and solid surface of community. Individual identity is mediated through difference and opposition to the greater whole. We cannot know who we are, if we do not know who we are not. For any group to feel whole, strangers exist. These individuals serve as both scapegoat and outcast to validate the inconsistencies that exist in any group. By exploring the fissures that exist between community and individual I hope to mirror the inconsistencies each person has between their external and their internal realities. Each of the main characters within this collection is a stranger, not only to the community that each seeks admittance to, but to themselves as well.