At some point in the history of the Western art genre, there was a removal of the artist capturing the scenes and happenings surrounding them, and was replaced with the more fictional tales of the west. With help from the enthusiastic collectors and art connoisseurs residing in the eastern United States, the western genre began to take form. It is an interesting form of art because there is just as much fiction as there is fact. The western genre began to embody the ideas that we recognize today. Where men are rough, rugged and chivalrous. Vicious outlaws mingle with proud pioneers at a rowdy poker table and disputes are settled with a gunfight. All while surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and tumbling tumbleweeds. The early western painters paved the way for the phenomenon known as the, “Imagined West”. Their artwork made appearances in national magazines and other popular publications. The eager masses gobbled up the imagery and helped build the “Idea of the West”. These ideas of the mystical and Wild West became solidified as the mass production of dime novels emerged in 1859 by Beadle’s Novel Publishing House. This says a lot for the depth that the Wild West had permeated popular society. There was enough documentation or collective opinion to generate tall tales or factual stories ( it is hard to say which trumps the other) about the happenings of the land beyond the Mississippi. Whether factual or fictional, the mass persuasion and shared recollections of the West are what piqued Cyrus’ curiosity. Technical Statement: Walker employs a diverse range of materials in his work, including oil, acrylic, spray paint, graphite, and ink. His experimental approach to these combinations often yields unexpected, naturally distressed textures, an effect he first discovered by chance and has since embraced. Deeply influenced by print media and illustration, Walker is drawn to the imperfections that arise in the process: ink bleeding, blotchy textures, and the oxidation of paper. These elements not only reveal the artist’s hand but also serve as a reminder that his work, like the world itself, is shaped by time and the forces acting upon it.