Rain God Mesa

Carson Bilger is a contemporary landscape artist whose work invites viewers to see the American West through a geometric, almost puzzle‑like lens. Using acrylic—sometimes watercolor—on panel or canvas, he transforms the landscapes captured in his vintage Polaroid 600 photographs into compositions of interlocking planes and shapes. This planar analysis emphasizes structure and form, while still retaining the profound sense of place embodied in the light and atmosphere of the original scenes.

Bilger was born in the Midwest and later relocated to Arizona. His travels across the Western United States, documented through his Polaroid snapshots, serve as the centerpiece of his creative practice shop.franklloydwright.org. He channels nostalgia and memory as he recreates iconic vistas, thoughtfully balancing abstraction and fidelity. As he explains of his method: “My aim is to retain the sublime feel of the original location while visually exploring the geometry of spatial relationships.”

His work features in Western Gallery’s Impermanent Collection, where notable pieces include the bold, deeply hued acrylic “I’ll Only Wait Until the Morning Comes” (36 × 36″), and the intimate 6″ watercolor on paper, “Kaibab Plateau.” These pieces exemplify Bilger’s skill at capturing both grandeur and quiet introspection in Western landscapes.

“My paintings investigate color relationships in the landscapes, and how individual shapes of value and light coalesce to create the larger whole. My pieces are delineated into receding sections that create the feel of depth and a sense of magnitude. My aim is evoke the ethereal quality of sublime nature.

“I take a vintage Polaroid 600 camera on my road trips and travels. My intent is to capture iconic western landscapes through a nostalgic filter. The washed out color palette of the Polaroids elicits the feel of fading memories and momentary experiences. I create watercolor studies in my sketchbook of the reference photographs, choosing select compositions to paint larger scale using acrylic on canvas or board.” – Carson Bilger