To quote onetime Las Vegas artist Robert Beckmann, “The city is redeemed by its chaos.” Twenty years ago the art scene in Las Vegas was minimal and uncomplicated. Not anymore. Beckmann would appreciate having his Vegas Vanitas series—Old Master-style paintings mixing Strip and biblical images (Water St. Gallery, September 20-November 10) shown concurrently with the work of video artist James Cho and digital photographer Atsuko Parker in an exhibit titled Meta-Morph (Reed Whipple, September 28-December 21), which focuses on the natural and artificial landscapes of Las Vegas. I was impressed with Parker’s digitally manipulated surreal photo in the Celebrating Life show earlier this year. I’m intrigued to see how this pair interprets the “absurd, comic ... occasionally beautiful” Las Vegas.
Another kind of interaction is occurring in the celebratory exhibition of the 50th anniversary of UNLV. Titled Fabulous Fiftieth (Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery, through September 29), the exhibition showcases the recent work of past professors. It will be good to see what they’re up to.
Another group of artists—Las Vegas and Clark County art administrators—will show their creative side through September in an exhibit aptly titled Your Art is Showing at the CAC gallery (recently relocated to the Arts Factory). I’m familiar with the work of some of the artists, particularly Elizabeth Blau, whose show two years ago of large figurative oils was unforgettable. Although I know all of the artists personally, I don’t know their work, and this exhibition should be a real eye-opener for many of us.
From Las Vegas Diaspora: Gajin Fujita's "Burn."
The Las Vegas Diaspora: The Emergence of Contemporary Art from the Neon Homeland exhibit (Las Vegas Art Museum, September 29-December 30), organized by Dave Hickey (art critic and MacArthur genius award recipient), marks a reunion of sorts; all of the artists were recruited for UNLV’s MFA program by Hickey. Some stayed in Las Vegas, and others moved away. Distinguished by their craftsmanship and style, their work ranges from flashy pop figuration to California cool abstract.
Included are two whose work I’ve admired for years: Philip Argent and Victoria Reynolds.
Linda Trenholm treats herself to summers in Southern France for inspiration and to collect fabrics, but calls Las Vegas home. Her exhibition Judging A Book by Its Cover, a collection of mixed-media art books, promises to be a multi-sensual experience (Sahara West Library, September 15 -October 14).
The Trifecta Gallery has a way of grabbing artists on their way up. In September Tom Pfannerstill’s carved wooden paintings, meticulously crafted 3-D trompe l’oeil “paper cups,” “plastic bottles” and various containers will amaze you. You’ll have to touch them to believe they’re not the real thing. No longer bright and clean, but crushed and dirtied, they are a reminder of the transitory nature of existence. In November, the paintings of Eric Joyner will delight and amuse the viewer. Obsessed with robots and donuts, he manages to combine them in scenes so convincingly and lovingly rendered you buy into his obsession.
Long live chaos!