UNTITLED by Matt Calarco

2023
From the series False Summits
Full color digital aqueous printing on textile
12 × 15 in, edition of 3
30 × 40 in, edition of 2

The cultural understanding of what makes a landscape from the American West geographically recognizable stems from a number of influences. The myths of the Wild West, photographs endlessly replicated at tourist destinations, and even the capitalistic terminology used to describe land in advertising all play their part. There are certainly shared visions at the forefront of our collective subconscious when we imagine the grandeur and sweeping views the West has become known for.  Making interventions in photographs with the use of analog and digital manipulations, False Summits subverts these structures, highlighting how perception of the West has been heavily influenced by the images we remember of it.  Seeing past the veil of tradition, new possibilities arise concerning what a Western perspective is, and what it could become.

Strata shares prints on Photo Tex, a printable textile. We chose this material to offer works by notable photographers at an affordable price. The images don’t need to be framed—you simply peel off the backing and place the print on your wall. Our intent is that more photographs can find their way to homes, offices, and libraries without disrupting the value of archival prints for the artists who make them.