Tanden Launder

Tanden Launder
Dead West Till Dawn
Casterline|Goodman Gallery is pleased to present Dead West Till Dawn, the debut exhibition of paintings by Tanden Launder. On view through July 15, this striking body of work captures the American West in moments of transition—where daylight gives way to dusk, memory blurs into myth, and forgotten places take on a quiet, haunting presence.

Working in oil, Launder paints from the road as much as from the studio. His subjects are drawn from long stretches of highway, weathered storefronts, empty lots, roadside signs, and landscapes suspended between abandonment and endurance. Rather than romanticizing the West, he reveals its complexities: its solitude, resilience, beauty, and decay.

In Dead West Till Dawn, the West emerges not as a fixed place, but as a state of mind. Launder's paintings inhabit the liminal space between past and present, where fading traces of American mythology linger beneath contemporary realities. Rich in atmosphere and cinematic in scope, the works invite viewers to slow down, look closer, and consider the stories embedded within the landscape.

These exceptional works are available for acquisition through the gallery.
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Tanden Launder is a contemporary Western artist based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, whose work blends portraiture, history, and mixed media into richly layered visual narratives of the American West. Combining collage, drawing, paint, and authentic historical materials, he creates textured portrayals of iconic figures such as Buffalo Bill, Amelia Earhart, John Dillinger, and Sitting Bull.

Raised in an art-filled home surrounded by books and biographies, Launder developed an early fascination with storytelling and historical characters. Today, vintage books, aged newspapers, and found ephemera often form the foundation of his compositions, adding depth and context to each piece. His work is designed to reveal itself over time. From afar, viewers encounter a striking portrait; up close, hidden text, historical references, and intricate textures emerge, rewarding closer inspection and repeated viewing.
At the heart of Launder’s practice is storytelling. Through layered imagery and materials, he reinterprets the legends of the American West, creating works that feel both historically grounded and distinctly contemporary. His ongoing experimentation with media allows for a diverse body of work that remains cohesive in vision while offering collectors a range of unique expressions.