Montana
A Homecoming
Image Courtesy of the Artist & Visions West Contemporary
River Road - Milepost 16, 2015
Holly Andres
An Article by Eli mathis Cheatham
When I was 18, my sister and I took an epic road trip. The West had always enticed me far more than white dresses and long gloves, so when given the choice to make my debut or enjoy the money saved by opting out, I chose option two. I’d like to think that my sister and I had a bit of the ‘unladylike grit’ of the women in June Glasson’s beautiful portraits as we did our small part to ‘deconstruct gender and social expectations and to reflect our own self-identities.’ Though, of course, we were not thinking of any of that as we pulled away in our little Jeep Cherokee with Bob Seger and Brooks & Dunn as our soundtrack. Instead, we were answering the call of adventure.
God did we ever have fun on that trip… concerts and cowboys, long hikes, gorgeous views, and a lifetime’s worth of Denny’s diners and Subway sandwiches. And, while my slightly prissy upbringing showed up once or twice over less-than-ideal sleeping arrangements (we still laugh about the meltdown I had in a motel that reeked of Fritos and felt far too dirty to sleep in), it is, to this day, one of my most favorite adventures. It was on that trip that I first fell in love with Montana.
Image Courtesy of the Artist & Visions West Contemporary
Bride with Axe 1, 2020
June Glasson
Image Courtesy of the Artist & Visions West Contemporary
Susannah and Her Pistol II, 2020
June Glasson
How odd it is that it took me twenty-one years to return. Yet, I guess we come home in our own time, and my heart knew that my time was this summer. It knew I needed the slow days and long drives… the little yellow house filled with quirky art and adorably mismatched furniture. I needed the pushy kitty and the little bunny that came to visit me every morning. I even needed the less-than-gorgeous “vintage” trailer parked in the backyard with the blue plastic swimming pool bungeed to the side.
On July 3rd as I packed up my bags to head back to NC, a bit unsure of my next chapter, I found myself thinking of the mysterious woman from photographer Holly Andres’ childhood. Though Holly and her sister never met her, they spent many nights trying on the clothes she left behind in a suitcase by the lake, trying to imagine the woman who had worn them… Where was she headed and what were her dreams? Was she so eager to pursue them that she absentmindedly forgot her bag or had she abandoned them too? Was she excited or sad as she packed to leave? I wonder if she, like me, was torn between staying in a place she loved and returning to one that she did not because of the people she loved.
Image Courtesy of the Artist & Visions West Contemporary
First Blush - Elk Rock Island, 2015
Holly Andres
Now that it is fall, I close my eyes and allow myself to flip forward in my story each time I miss Montana. There I find myself in a room full of windows—back turned and heart open. A slightly ruffled braid (evidence of an early morning ride) falls down my back, and I am quite certain, as I watch myself take in the view, that this is and always will be my favorite spot. Sometimes my visions of Montana are crystal clear. Others have the deliciously eerie feel of Madeleine Bialke’s surreal landscapes. The restored barn—an adored respite for artists to charge their spirits and reconnect to their passions—takes on the nostalgic qualities of the paintings from her time in the Adirondacks and my palomino and sorrel mares set against the big skies seem a bit dreamlike and distorted. All of my senses experience the scene as well… I smell leather and hay, taste the yummy food, and hear the laughter of wild dinner parties with my favorite creatives. If I really focus, I can even make out the awed silence experienced by all present when a truly exceptional art piece from the residency is shared. I can feel too, in every one of my cells, the joy that would come from creating this space. And, while it may be a fantasy, it is one that I will hold gently yet determinedly as I obediently take one step after another to bring it closer to reality.
In the meantime and during my current chapter, I will promise to visit yearly, to stay in touch with my new friends at Visions West Contemporary who introduced me to all of these wonderful artists, and to surely not miss the Livingston Rodeo this coming year.
Image Courtesy of the Artist & Visions West Contemporary
Lady of the Lake, 2020
Madeleine Bialke
Image Courtesy of the Artist & Visions West Contemporary