Abstract

Patagonia^® catalogs sell literal and figurative access to a carefully constructed wilderness, though not without rules and expectations. My thesis examines the photographs and narratives in turn, investigating the cultural resonances found within as myths used to market wilderness. The first chapter deals with a photographic evolution from a broad understanding of the components of adventure (including urban and working life) to a coherent wilderness sublime (adrenaline-fueled, with themes of gender and imperialism). Chapter Two moves on to the narrative myth of heroic adventure, which instructs readers and athletes in the components of adventure quest (also laden with implicit gender values and imperialism). Patagonia belongs in the story of the corporatization of adventure, growing from a backyard hobby to an international company (a transformation that is in itself a myth). I am interested in the historic cultural archetypes still resonant in our society that allow Patagonia to sell wilderness.