A Beautiful Deep Dive Into Our Worldwide Arts + Culture
| Back to Main Page |
|
|
|
|||
A Beautiful Deep Dive Into Our Worldwide Arts + Culture |
|||||
DEFINING THE LAS VEGAS ARTIST |
|
||
When asked if there's something “different” about Las Vegas artists, compared to artists in other thriving urban arts cities such as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, I can only speak to my personal experience. As a visual artist living and working in Las Vegas for nearly 15 years, I've spent countless hours in the company of other talented artists, at gallery or exhibition openings, art fairs, workshops, and the like. I've paid close attention to not only what influences my own work, but also the influences that show up in the work of others. I've noticed the traits many artists here have in common with those in the arts cities mentioned above, such as self-discipline and dedication to one's practice, while also noting some intriguing differences, such as a fearlessness to blaze one's own creative trail in pursuit of genuine originality. Working in Las Vegas means there are fewer traditional opportunities that seem to be available to artists elsewhere. To name just a few, we have far fewer privately curated gallery spaces, fewer arts nonprofits providing support and resources, a veritable dearth of art museums (except for UNLV's Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art), and a minuscule number of arts collectives. Of the galleries we do have, the majority are governed by, well, local government, in spaces such as city-run cultural centers dotted around the valley or city/county-run library gallery spaces, or other institutional spaces at the college or university level, all of which are over-run with high quality exhibition proposals they cannot possibly support. What this all ultimately means is that Las Vegas artists are compelled to be even more creative outside of the studio in creating their own opportunities to be seen and to support themselves. Pop-up exhibitions are the norm, as are spaces that usually double as both gallery and studio due to out-of-control rents, in addition to utilizing nontraditional spaces such as bars, coffee-, tattoo-, thrift-shops for informal installations of art that look less like an exhibition and more like décor. With the scenarios I've described above, I believe most artists here have less time to focus solely on making art. Spending extra time hustling for scraps of support or creating ways to stay visible (relevant) means time spent in the studio must be efficient and intentional. When we think of the West, in general, we think of hardy bands of pioneers, of fearless trail-blazers heading into the unknown. I feel that artists who choose to make Las Vegas their home also have similar traits and courage to be true to themselves and their art. So, about that art. Maybe it's the wide open spaces. Maybe it's the neon sunsets battling neon lights for attention. Maybe it's the lack of artistic trends that bombard us from white cube spaces or the “art world” in general. Whatever it is, Las Vegas artists, for the most part, do their own thing. Yes, you'll see hints of Basquiat, Banksy, Haring, Picasso, Koons, or KAWS, to name just a few, in the work of some local artists, but primarily you'll see authentic and original visual story-telling and intriguing conceptual interpretations that compel conversations into what members of our species have in common with each other and how to hopefully not destroy ourselves in pursuit of individuality. Deep dives into spirituality, philosophy, science, and tech factor prominently in not only my own work, but also in the work of many of my cohorts. Ingenious and non-traditional uses of traditional mediums mark a willingness to be uncomfortable with the unknown and the unguaranteed acceptance that so often accompanies originality or some new thought. We aren't here for outside approval. We're here for our own. This is what I think of when I think of Las Vegas artists.
NANCY GOOD Nancy Good (b. 1961) is a contemporary conceptual artist based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Primarily known for large-scale, mural-sized paintings and hybrid analog-digital works, she maintains a disciplined studio practice where she also mentors and teaches. A frequent grant/award recipient, Good's work is regularly seen around the world in galleries or prominent private and public collections, and she is also a Signature Member (juried) of the esteemed, 136-year old National Association of Women Artists.
----------------------------------- Artist and writer GORDY GRUNDY is the Editor-in-Chief of Art Report Today
|
