The Failed Life of a Cowboy is a self-portraiture series that explores westernized masculine archetypes in relation to queer identity. Through variations of the cowboy and the farmer, The Failed Life of a Cowboy activates an emotionally charged version of the harsh cultural invention of the cowboy through the queer lens of gender fluidity. The series follows personal family narratives from rural prairie communities, through the experience of a non-binary individual who has been disconnected from those narratives. The series features photography, video, and textile work that uses self-portraiture as a means of character building, taking from present day drag performance and reality TV personalities. The Failed Life of a Cowboy features three self-portraits where the subject is dressed in classic cowboy/farmer attire, posed against the stark and out-of-place white studio backdrop. Each portrait features a sex-driven queer article to interrupt the expectedly straight and masculine attire, such as a dildo or black harness. Through studio setting and queer objects, the vision of the classic cowboy is disrupted. The Failed Life of a Cowboy has been influenced by artists such as, Adrian Stimson, Tara White, and Ryan Trecartin, and Kristine Potter.