Madeline Rupard finds the sublime in the mundane landscapes of western America

When we think of America, we may think of the expansive Wild West, mountainous landscapes, sprawling and iconic metropolises – we may also think of car parks, fast food, merchandising, American flags and challenging politics. In other words, among the plateaus and pines, America also possesses an endearing aesthetic profanity. What artist Madeline Rupard, who is based in those Skyrim-esque mountain areas of western America, relates to the most as an American is what she calls “the suburbs and the sublime, the miraculous and the mundane”. That’s why her paintings are so often imbued with the low fantasy of living in or visiting America; there is always an ambient romance occurring, sometimes hilariously deflated and other times breathtaking.

Born out of restlessness in lockdown, Madeline has driven solo across the US several times, chasing opportunities and golden washes of sunsets over parking lots. “During a chapter in New York, I bought an old Subaru so I could escape my apartment during pandemic lockdowns. What began as a practical purchase slowly became a home, a loyal steed and a steady companion. I grew attached to Subaru’s humble form: the cassette player, worn leather seats, outdated physical dials,” says Madeline. The car become a symbol of analogue stubbornness, offering a sense of hope during a period marked by both joy and grief. Years later, after departing with her vehicular bestie, she found herself feeling like she lost a beloved pet, which led her to explore those feelings with humour and devotion with a solo exhibition at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art called 2002 Subaru Forester.

In Madeline’s paintings – which sometimes take the form of comics, complete with Bruce Springsteen lyrics or Biblical passages – petrol stations become glowing checkpoints in endless landscapes, a bright orange soda drink in the cupholder of her dashboard appears like a sorcerer’s elixir, and those magnificent mountain ranges do indeed elicit the scenes from within Skyrim. Except here, American capitalism is one of the main characters, transforming what could be simple scenic paintings into something more like depictions of a modded fantasy-sandbox game, retaining the magic of open-ended IRL exploration.