The New American West: A Photographic Exploration of Transformation
A new exhibition, “The New American West: Photography in Conversation,” currently on display at Galleria 10 Corso Como in Milan until April 7, 2026, explores the evolving landscape and mythology of the American West through the lens of various photographers. The exhibition, curated by Alessio de’ Navasques, Howard Greenberg and Carrie Scott, presents a dialogue between historical and contemporary works, examining themes of change, memory, and the enduring allure of the frontier.
From Open Spaces to Fragmented Visions
The exhibition begins with the work of Danny Lyon, specifically his 1970 photograph “Stephanie,” taken in Sandoval County, New Mexico. This image, featuring a young woman looking back at the desert, sets the stage for a journey through the West’s transformation. The photograph embodies a sense of forward momentum, a willingness to confront the past while looking towards the future.
Contemporary photographers Maryam Eisler and Alexei Riboud continue this exploration, following in the footsteps of Georgia O’Keeffe and documenting the landscapes of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Their work reflects a more fragmented and introspective view of the West, focusing on remnants and ruins rather than expansive vistas.
Echoes of the Past: FSA and New Topographics
The exhibition also draws connections to the Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographers of the 1930s, such as Esther Bubley and Peter Sekaer, whose work captured both the hardship and the promise of the West. Paul Strand’s 1932 photograph of Taos, New Mexico, and Ansel Adams’ 1941 “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico,” exemplify the way these early photographers portrayed the vastness of the landscape and the resilience of its inhabitants.
This historical context is further explored through the work of the New Topographics movement of the 1970s, represented by Robert Adams and Frank Gohlke. Their frontal, documentary-style images challenged the romanticized view of the West, focusing instead on the mundane realities of residential areas, parking lots, and industrial sites.
Wim Wenders and the Staged Myth
Wim Wenders’ “Written in the West” (1988) series, created in preparation for his film Paris, Texas (1984), introduces color photography to the conversation. His images, taken in New Mexico and other Western states, dialogue with Bruce Davidson’s photographs from the set of The Misfits (1961), featuring Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Clift. Wenders’ work captures a West that is both real and staged, a landscape haunted by the ghosts of its own mythology.
A “Post-Frontier” Landscape
Eisler and Riboud’s contemporary photographs represent a further contraction of the visual field, focusing on “rubble” and fragments rather than expansive spaces. Their images often feature muted colors and a sense of stillness, reflecting a “post-frontier” landscape marked by decay and abandonment. Eisler’s photographs of abandoned cars and gas stations, and Riboud’s images of broken windows and deserted buildings, convey a sense of loss and the finish of an era.
The exhibition highlights a shift from the West as a place of opportunity and discovery to a space defined by its past and its limitations. The car, once a symbol of freedom and mobility, is now depicted as stationary and inert, a relic of a bygone era.
Continuing the Conversation
“The New American West: Photography in Conversation” offers a compelling and nuanced exploration of the American West, challenging viewers to reconsider its myths and realities. The exhibition, part of the Off Circuit of MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas, invites reflection on the enduring power of photography to capture and interpret the ever-changing landscape of the American West.
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