Michael Krueger

Michael Krueger, What is Here is the Same as What is There, colored pencil, 13" x 22", 2007

Michael Krueger, Mirror'land, colored pencil, 10" x 20", 2007

I found these interesting drawings recently by artist Michael Krueger. Though most of the artists repotoire is overtly concerned with the idea of Westward Expansion and the exploration by those of European descent of of the American West, there are definitive sub-notes of commentary on environmental issues here as well. Or at least it's impossible for me to think about Manifest Destiny without thinking about the conquering of the natural world in the New World --- leading to the eventual, shall we say, desecration of the American wilderness. I found this sentiment most notably in this pair of drawings. Go ahead and click to enlarge them to appreciate the details, and I think you'll see what I mean.