Jackson Hole Inspires a Feeling of Nostalgia
An interview with Jackson Hole-based artist, Travis Walker.
Snow King Motel, Travis Walker, Acrylic on canvas 36 x 24 inches
THE ARTIST Travis Walker
MOVING WEST “I am the son of a US Air Force pilot. I was born in Japan and moved constantly until I was about 24, when I moved to Jackson. Not having a hometown or old friends to recall memories left me feeling disconnected. Consequently, I’ve spent my adult life trying to capture the places I’ve been with my art. My art grounds me and makes me feel like I am part of a place; a feeling that eluded me during my childhood.”
LOOKING AT LAYERS “There are so many cultural and historical layers to the West, and my work tries to capture the intersection of these layers: a burning RV in a sublime open space or a family of tourists awestruck in front of Old Faithful, a bear soaking in a hot tub or a stuffed moose on wheels are examples of this intersection.”
ON NOSTALGIA “In my life, nostalgia infuses objects and places with personal meaning and helps connect me to the world. I think it helps us find our place as a link in the great chain of life. The Snow King Motel is one of Jackson’s last remaining motels. The image of its old neon sign in front of the ski runs of Snow King Mountain is one that represents a bygone era. I have been trying to capture these places before they disappear forever. I want my viewers to feel both a sense of place and an emotional connection to the subject. I want the images I make to become windows to a landscape of memory and feeling.”
NEXT Walker’s work will be on view at Maya Frodeman Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, this fall, and in the Western Visions show at Jackson’s National Museum of Wildlife Art in September.
