THE WAY OUT WEST! new artwork at 21c St Louis

The Way Out West, 2023

David Allen Burns and Austin Young / Fallen Fruit

Created for 21c Museum Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, The Way Out West, is an immersive artwork installation for the historicpublic stairwell that connects the public spaces and art galleries. The artwork is sourced from hundreds of  original  photographs taken by the artists around the city at different times of year. The images are an index of the history of St. Louis including flowers and plants from the public parks, images from artifacts from historic collections, as well as drawings of birds and pollinators native to the region. The title of the artwork  ‘The Way Out West’  invokes a message about how the history of the United States was built upon a proclamation of sovereignty and in our current moment of cultural evolution we find ourselves on a clandestine journey to redefine legal frameworks, complex legacies, civil rights, concepts of inclusion, political representations, and to harmonize the voices of all of the people.