A museum visit to autry museum los angeles and its relation to class - Essay Example

When going through the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, there were recognizable artifacts and pieces of work which I could relate to through Thisfollowed historical and cultural significance and created a deeper understanding of some of the issues of the culture as well as the associations which were created in terms of the art work. More important, it showed and reflected the values which were associated with each society during specific times. The first observation I had when moving through the museum were the artifacts and paintings of cowboys and the Native Americans.

The observations of the painting that stood out were one of a cowboy that was chasing two buffalo and the depiction which followed his demeanor. This showed not only the basics of what occurred at this time, but also represents and observes the past of how things were. The vastness of the land, as well as the cowboys desires to chase the large animals were two of the concepts which I immediately noticed. This was followed by observations of the hand made tools, hats and other artifacts which were important to the cowboys.

The significance was based on how each of the men had to change their level of innovation to try to settle and build a specific life, while having the sense of dominance over a specific piece of land. This led to the noticed cowboy movies that were also represented, which held this same ideal and continued to show the mindset of cowboys that were settling in the West. The representation of cowboys after the 1900s that is seen in the exhibition is one which is seen to link to the myth of the cowboy.

The representations of the cowboy outfits, paintings of the salon girls and the guitars also represent this ideology. The concept of movies such as “The Lone ranger” and the idolized cowboy are highlighted in these particular areas, specifically with reference to what the cowboys became. Despite the realities of dominating the west and the attitudes which were taken, the movies of cowboys and the change of the myth into the boldness of those who settled the West are noted with the exhibition that is based on the cowboys of the early 1900s.

The plain Indians were also noted, specifically because it showed a contrast to the cowboys. The cowboys and the Native Americans were in the same place; however, the representation of culture differed. The cowboy paintings and artifacts showed a building of the new, creating innovations and dominating over the land. However, the Native Americans showed working with baskets and creating natural images. The section of basketry was one which stood out, specifically because it showed the evolution of the culture, how it worked with the elements of nature and the intricate designs that were a part of the culture, as well as the association which this had to the beliefs that were in the culture, specifically through the designs and meaning of this for the culture.

The mythical elements also stood out, such as the paintings of Native Americans and the combined elements of nature. When going through the Autry Museum, there is a direct understanding of how the settlement of the West also was one which contrasted with ideologies and cultures. The movement of cowboys becoming a main sign of dominance of the west, as well as the understanding of the plain Native Americans and their association with nature are highlighted. When looking at the artifacts and art work, one has the capability of seeing what the cultural attributes and mentalities are of the two contrasting cultures.

Works Cited Autry Museum. Los Angeles. 2011.