Tanden Launder: Rewriting the Legends of the American West
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
The mythology of the American West has long been told through photographs, novels, films, and folklore, but those stories are not relics of the past—they are living narratives waiting to be rediscovered.
This summer, Casterline|Goodman Gallery is pleased to introduce contemporary artist Tanden Launder to Aspen audiences with his debut exhibition, Dead West till Dawn.
In this striking body of mixed-media work, Launder subverts traditional Western iconography, transforming familiar historical archetypes into deeply textured, narrative-driven contemporary art. The result is intellectually engaging, visually dynamic, and unmistakably current “visual biographies” that resist the predictable, romanticized conventions often associated with traditional Western art.
Growing up in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Launder spent much of his childhood without television, immersed instead in books, biographies, and an art room that encouraged imagination. Those formative years deeply influence his works in Dead West till Dawn.
Launder’s subjects—cowboys, explorers, Indigenous leaders, outlaws, and cultural figures—are reconstructed through layers of pages from antique books, newspaper clippings, historical ephemera, paint, graphite, and found materials. From across a room, each piece commands attention with bold graphics, while closer observation continuously rewards the viewer with unexpected elements and imagery.
The effect is profoundly cinematic, inviting collectors to navigate the layers and decode the intersections of history, memory, and material culture for themselves.
Despite Launder's distinctly contemporary style, his work remains deeply connected to craftsmanship. Before establishing himself as a fine artist, his creative trajectory included leatherworking and the restoration of historic buildings. These disciplines demanded patience, absolute precision, and an innate respect for raw materials.
In Dead West till Dawn, Launder integrates these experiences and appreciation for materials, creating striking visual rhythm and cohesion with diverse elements and processes.
For Casterline|Goodman Gallery, Launder's debut represents an exciting expansion of the gallery's vision for contemporary Western art. His work bridges multiple audiences, appealing equally to collectors drawn to Americana, mixed media, contemporary portraiture, and narrative-driven art.
While Launder’s work clearly honors the people and places that shaped the American frontier, he probes viewers to consider what these figures still represent today—and why their stories continue to resonate.
