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The 154-foot mural named “From the Land Beyond Beyond” covers the south wall of the Museum’s Reed Whipple building. Beginning with the Stardust Resort & Casino, which collapsed in 2007, Stanford’s mural design pays homage to early Las Vegas monuments. As a tribute to the Stardust’s Aku Aku Polynesian restaurant and Tiki Bar, the mural also features two Moai sculptures that was seen at the venue. The Sultan from the renowned hotel and casino known as The Dunes, which closed in 1993 to make way for the Bellagio, brings back found memories for local and tourists alike. > Read More

Dunes Hotel and Casino postcard showcasing the fiberglass Dunes Sultan, ca. 1960. Anthony Bondi Collection, The Neon Museum

Stardust Hotel and Casino Postcard, ca. 1960. Anthony Bondi Collection, The Neon Museum

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“The politics don’t swarm out at you from Nanda Sharifpour’s installation One, on view in a large corner window of Soho Lofts, Las Vegas Boulevard and Hoover Avenue. A six-line poem, rendered in English and Farsi and backlit by bright, changing colors, One offers its commentary quietly, by induction; if you prefer political art delivered like a sack of doorknobs, walk nine minutes to Main Street for Izaac Zevalking’s mural Chain Migration (Lady Liberty bent over the hood of an ICE vehicle).

But make no mistake, Sharifpour means for One to be viewed through the lenses of current events, even if its topicality comes by way of 13th-century Persian poet Saadi Shirazi. His lines (sample: “All human beings are members of one frame / since all, at first, from the same essence came”) are a wisdom-of-the-past plea for the cross-cultural recognition of everyone’s common humanity. It’s underscored by the cycling colors, color being one rather obvious notion that divides us. Such are the times that if you stand there long enough, absorbing what should be a simple, not-at-all-contentious sentiment, multiple contexts eventually barge in to complicate it, turning the 763-year-old verse into a very contemporary critique: Why do we — why do you, the viewer — “feel not for others’ misery”? Add to any day’s headlines and shake thoroughly.

Born in Iran, now living in Las Vegas, Sharifpour conceived the piece around the same time the U.S. assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, President Trump threatening to bomb the country’s “cultural sites” if it retaliated. In a video about the making of One, she says the surging tensions between her homeland and her home “pressured my heart.” > Read More

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“Multi-media artist James Stanford is no stranger to creating art that merges past and present, reality and fantasy. In fact, Stanford is best known for his artistic work exploring themes of religion and spirituality, Zen Buddhism, and the metaphysical like his famed photomontage series, “Indra’s Jewels.” Now he’s brought this talent to another project, one that features prominently in Las Vegas’ ever-transforming landscape — a new large scale mural entitled, “From The Land Beyond Beyond.”

In June the Las Vegas-based artist finished his latest piece, the 154-by-19-foot mural painting on the Neon Museum’s newly acquired Reed Whipple building, which is located directly across from the museum. Stanford was commissioned by the Cultural Corridor Coalition to help beautify downtown Las Vegas. In his effort to do so, the artist drew from worldly and fantastical themes, as well as paid homage to the city’s famous Stardust Resort & Casino and Dunes Hotel & Casino, memorializing Vegas’ famed early days. The mural’s title, “From The Land Beyond Beyond,” was inspired by the 1958 film “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.”

Blending hallmarks of these casino properties, Stanford depicts the astronomical-themed Stardust neon signage and Moai carved lava statues, a reference to the Stardust’s Tiki bar and restaurant. On an adjoining wall panel, the artist painted a giant sultan overlooking the landscape, a reference to the Dunes property. Stanford used Dunn-Edwards Paints to bring his creations to life, and completed the project with the help of fellow artists Nanda Sharifpour, Ali Fathollahi and Milo Duffin. In his mural, Stanford seamlessly merges the city’s past into its artistic and cultural future with these images, displaying a heritage of art, design and commerce unique to Las Vegas.” < Read More

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To date, artists from 27 nations have participated, and I eagerly anticipate the next celebration of this unique artistic genre will attract more artists from around the world.

I eagerly anticipate the next time we can all be together.

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Spencer is a multi-media artist that specializes in abstract and conceptual art. Combining interactive components with an eye for the ludicrous and whimsical, his approach offers a certain peace inside chaos. The installation may be viewed at Quivx, which is located on Charleston and Main in the center of the Las Vegas Arts District.

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Using historic Las Vegas neon signage and architectural elements from

the 1950s and 1960s, shot in the Mojave Desert, Stanford artfully creates digital montages, mesmerizing designs using unique newly developed purpose specific technology. Stanford’s group of intriguing digital reconfigurations convey and respond to the potency of the mandala as a symbol, and its influence and importance to Asian culture worldwide.

As a leading maker of contemporary mandalas, Stanford’s work is an interpretation of the ancient traditions of Buddhism, drawing from historic metaphor, Chinese fable, and the aesthetics of the Tibetan Mandala. Born and raised in Nevada, Stanford grew up in a household of educators. As a young man, after a transformative and spiritual moment at the Prado Museum in Madrid opened his mind to a higher consciousness, this new spirituality became firmly entwined with his creativity. With the advent of Apple software, the tools of technology merged with his ambitious thirst for spiritual growth and education. This led to Stanford’s personal commitment to Zen Buddhism and cemented his unique creative identity.

Stanford says of his work, “Las Vegas neon signage, which I see as the former jewels of the desert night, have come together with the use modern technology, enabling me to weave it all together using the artifice of perfect symmetry into a spiritual object of meditation.”

In Stanford’s conceptually complex and visually sumptuous work, the mandala offers contemplation for both spiritual and material realities. Using a mix of traditional photographic and digital techniques, Stanford’s works are made unique and compelling by vividly illuminated moving networks and layers.

Discussing his process, James Stanford says “When I take a picture of a derelict sign I already begin to see and find the patterns and shapes that will form the final piece. Once I get the image in the studio I begin to layer the patterns created, making sure to save the patterns I particularly like; I never lose a layer of work, I simply continue to build and modify those patterns that appeal to me.”

This visually stunning and intricately constructed modern mandala series, entitled Indra’s Jewels, will be exhibited during at Asian Art in London 2017. James Stanford is a featured participant during the Dealer Open Evening event to be held at the gallery on Saturday 4 November.

The exhibition will be complemented by the official launch of Stanford’s upcoming book of the same name, Shimmering Zen, at The London Library on Friday 3 November. The book is a compilation of 150 of Stanford’s works created over the last 15 years and published in a large format hardback. Shimmering Zen offers an insight into Stanford’s creative process and inspiration allied with original images of the signs, and accompanied by nostalgic tales of his Las Vegas life, including being on the set of Viva Las Vegas with Elvis Presley and Anne-Margaret.

The exhibition and selling show is curated by Elizabeth Herridge, art historian, author and former Managing Director of the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, Las Vegas as well as publisher, Ianthe Press Limited: London.

The book Shimmering Zen, published by Ianthe Press Limited: London, will launch with the exhibition. The book includes essays by the artist and the curator, and a foreword by Jeff Rosen, Vice President, The Higher Learning Commission, Evanston, Illinois. An interview of Stanford by Laura Henkel PhD, Managing Director of ArtCulture PR, provides insight into the artist’s influences and philosophy.

James Stanford studied painting at the University of Washington (UW) (MFA) and the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) (BFA) and also practices photography, digital illustration and drawing. Dedicated to creativity and the fine arts, he has taught at UNLV and UW, established the Smallworks Gallery, and curated exhibitions at various venues, including the Las Vegas Contemporary Arts Centre. He currently lives and works in Las Vegas.

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L’Vegue

Welcome to our Summer issue which includes our second annual list of Las Vegas’ Most Beautiful. Find out who is making an impact in their Las Vegas Community. We also feature artist Jorge Marin, renowned sculptor and artist from Mexico. > Read More

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