The Other Side of Paradise
Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
February 14 - March 14, 2020
See the works on Art Work Archive here:
https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/unlvmuseum/exhibition/the-other-side-of-paradise
The Other Side of Paradise mines the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art’s collection for artworks that reflect perceptions of Las Vegas through the contrasting perspectives of tourist, local, skeptical critic, and cultural anthropologist. The exhibition features work by artists: David Sanchez Burr, Carol Caroompas, Justin Favela, Noelle Garcia, James Gobel, Daniel Habegger, Tom Pfannerstill, Victoria Reynolds, JK Russ, Mikayla Whitmore, Yek, and Brian Zimmerman.
The selections range from a diverse group of works by artists who are born-and-raised Las Vegans, transplants-turned-residents, UNLV Department of Art alumni, and other artists with ties to the Las Vegas art community -- all of whose work in some way speaks to the unique landscape and culture of the city. The title The Other Side of Paradise references the layered notions of “Paradise” beginning with Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas which contains most of the Las Vegas Strip.
The curators consider Las Vegas through a variety of works; some reflect or counter Las Vegas’s image as both proverbial Paradise and Sin City, others present Las Vegas as a place to live, work and call home. From Justin Favela's inclusionary revisioning of the iconic Stardust hotel/casino sign Estardas and Tom Pfannerstill's ode to the discarded in Pabst Blue Ribbon 12 Pack, to Victoria Reynold’s feminized fleshy vignette Ruban Rouge and Noelle Garcia’s delicate autobiographical beaded Cigarettes, the artists explore place, identity, transformation and power through sculpture, photography, painting, video and Native beadwork.
Curated by Department of Art MFA Candidates Fawn Douglas, John McVay, and Laurence Myers Reese.