WISH YOU WERE HERE: LEGENDS OF THE GREAT PLAINS

Abstract

Wish You Were Here: Legends of the Great Plains is an image-based project examining the reality of how the Great Plains romanticizes its history through legends, histories, and roadside attractions. This region, often referred to as flyover country, is low in population but is home to a plethora of roadside attractions. This history is often commodified through roadside attractions and monuments where tourists can enter these places, take part in photo-ops, and buy souvenirs as proof of the experience and inclusion in this part of history. The work in this series developed as both an observer and participant within these places. The Great Plains is full of legends rooted in truth, from the infamous Buffalo Bill in the Wild West to the spirits of the Badlands, but the stories overshadow some grim truths of Midwestern history. These stories become a sense of pride and comfort for the local population, who use iconography to perpetuate the ideas of manifest destiny and the Wild West. With awareness of this history, the authenticity of these spaces as well as their interpretations are put into question. This document supports the MFA Thesis Exhibition for Wish You Were Here.