Parthenon in the Panhandle

Throughout the semester, we learned more about the ongoing debate of the Elgin Marbles. Does the British Museum and government have the cultural obligation to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, or does it have the right to protect them? That is an interesting question that has caused years of debate. Now, my question becomes a little more intriguing: What would the Texas Panhandle do to keep the Parthenon Marbles if they were acquired by the United States? I would imagine, a couple of centuries back, there would be a gun toting cowboy ready to draw his side arm and shoot up anyone who crossed his path.

Living in Canyon, Texas definitely has its own fair share of historical landmarks. We can drive fifteen minutes to Palo Duro Canyon and see something that is so naturally astonishing. In town, we can cross the highway to see the historical Tex Randall. These towering objects are in our everyday lives, and they can be taken for granted. In a place like Athens, where someone of small-town American heritage rarely visits, we can easily become culture shocked. The Parthenon is a beautiful acropolis that is visited by people from all over the world. Back in Texas, Palo Duro Canyon is also a world renowned tourist attraction. We as residents of the Pahandle just don't take it in as such very often.

In the above image, I chose to distort the very attractions that people love to visit. On the far left, we can see an image of the lighthouse that sits in the middle of Palo Duro Canyon. Right smack in the middle is the out-of-place Parthenon. It has become intertwined with the Texas landscape and bears a flag that reads "come and take me," with a Lord Elgin twist. Protecting both objects is the gun toting cowboy himself, Tex Randall!

These objects are highly dissimilar from each other; however, I chose to depict them in a harmonious manner. They play upon each monument's withering surfaces. All have been around for some time and continue to be a representation of the land surrounding them. All are special to their culture and context, and all have a unique place in the hearts of their audience.