The BC Ranching Lifestyle: Challenging Ideals of Ranchers and Cowboys

My focus for my UREAP project was to examine the ranching industry in the Central Interior of B.C., which has been depicted variously as nostalgic, idyllic, and even heroic in visual arts, especially painting. Through research and creative work I hope to establish a realistic appraisal of the industry and deconstruct the notion of ranching life as idyllic by providing realistic representations of the ranching world through sketches, oil paintings, and the personal stories of local ranchers. The study will compare artistic depictions of ranching life to the experiences of present day cattle operators and workers to identify inconsistencies. Romanticized paintings about ranching will be reviewed and I will display visual narratives that expose and question the real issues and distortions about cowboy culture. I want to demonstrate what it means to be a rancher; the work that is put into it, and the dedication and commitment that might be seen as futile. My main source of information was derived from Foster Bar Ranch, which has been in the Watkinson family since its establishment in 1864, as well as ranches surrounding McLeese Lake