TEXAS: The Lone Gunman State

This artwork was already partially designed when, in August 2019, a tragic mass shooting occurred at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, near the border of New Mexico, my adopted state. The incident evoked memories of earlier shootings in Texas history, including:

• The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963
• The University of Texas tower shooting in Austin in 1966, which remained the deadliest shooting on a college campus for over 40 years
• The Luby’s cafeteria shooting in Killeen in 1991
• The Santa Fe High School shooting in May 2018

These events, all attributed to “lone gunmen,” cast a somber shadow on Texas’ identity as the Lone Star State. The El Paso shooting, which claimed 23 lives and injured 22 others, stands as the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern American history. It tragically exemplifies the dark side of American individualism, a trait often associated with Texas culture. The artwork draws parallels between these violent incidents and the state’s motto, highlighting the complex and sometimes troubling nature of rugged individualism when taken to extremes. By juxtaposing these events with Texas’ iconic symbolism, the piece prompts reflection on the societal implications of unchecked individualism and the potential consequences of a culture that  glorifies the “lone” figure.