The Real Deal: Cowboys, Poets and First Peoples

Inspired by his grandfather's paintings of New Mexico as well as activists who fought against corporate greed for First Peoples, photographer James Wvinner set out on a quest to help raise awareness about the destruction of people, land, and lifestyle in the western United States. Wvinner wanted to find the west of his dreams, but he also wanted to make photographs that would inform people about social injustice. Along the way he learned about the life of “real deal” cowboys and their love for the land. Wvinner found the west he was seeking, but also watched it change as a result of pressure from mining and energy companies exerted upon the cooperative federal government. This powerful collection of Wvinner's photographs tells the story of enormous change in the legendary and celebrated western United States.