American artist Shelbi Schroeder makes photographs that have a sort of old world breathlessness to them. Her recent White series is made up of landscapes of pristine clouds, the subjects caught at the moment of snowy solitude and purity. Still others show the moment of sexual pleasure, where memories, rivers of time, a sense of other worldliness collide to become a moment of release and liberation. Explicitness has its place, I am no enemy of confrontational sexual imagery, however, we can look to a way of working wherein sensuality is all-consuming, yet not direct.

Nevertheless, I would add the Shelbi does not shy away from direct imagery entirely, her large-scale Instax project involved taking pictures of her nude body for an extended period of time, and asking a select group of participants to do the same.

Through this practice, she is confronted with the feminine bodily self, rather than being confronted with another’s idea of female sexuality and pleasure. These moments brought forth a transformation of her own vision of her true self, the role of desire and agency.  > Read More

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It’s hard to reinvent the nude, but former Las Vegan Shelbi Schroeder has done just that—turned the same old body we’re so used to seeing into something fresh, mysterious and vital. Swoon features nine works in 12-by-12-inch frames, each exhibiting a single Fujifilm Instax Mini color instant photo of a tiny nude body. It’s so tiny, you have to lean into it, face almost against the glass. You stare. The mind blinks. Then it happens: that hard-to-describe transporter moment when an art object becomes a portal to another world.

Schroeder takes us to an ethereal place where bodies seemingly come to life. Hovering on the verge of manifestation, they lift, float and emerge from white ground. In the aptly-named “White #12,” for example, a faint line suggests a hip. The thighs come into view—the head is perhaps discernible, the flesh of the buttocks—but most of the torso blends into a featureless landscape. The body might wholly materialize if you look long enough, or it might disappear back into the nothingness from which it came. > Read More

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American lens master Shelbi Schroeder creates provocative fine art Polaroid photographs with an alluring sense of mysterious figures awash in an aura of light.

Quiet metaphors guide the works of JK Russ (New Zealand) who reimagines the beauty and complexity of the natural world in collage, while the trompe-l’œil photographs of Las Vegas artist Nancy Good plays with morphed body parts to create mesmerizing objects.

Crossing boundaries of identity, pioneering Iranian artist Nanda Sharifpour’s portraits offer unseen views of the private feminine, made invisible by fundamentalist rule in her home country.

Likewise, the act of looking and naming is turned upside down by the San Francisco painter SM Shifflett, whose lustrous paintings are a celebration of the diversity of feminine experience.

On the flip side, a thread of irreverence and rebellion runs is seen through New York artist Marne Lucas’ counter-culture pinup that embraces masculine beauty.

Confrontation and humor is the name of the game for Las Vegas artist Sarah Jane Woodall’s outrageous live-action performance, Wonderhussy, celebrates female power…as she puts “Since the dawn of time, it has remained a thing of mystery and even shame. It has been idolized, fetishized, monetized and demonized…but its full power has never been realized. Until now.”

The magic of Israeli sculptor Dorit Schwartz includes a quiet evocation of the feminine. No overt symbols exist, rather seemingly simple shapes stand to express a spectacular vision of something deep within, the open spaces like an abstract illustration of the innermost heart of a man, containing a chakra like crystal, a round curvilinear wood carved to form a womb like interior, reflecting the hidden chakra of woman.

Per Dr. Henkel, “This reveal of new ideas and practice in art, erogenous secrets, and the unspoken realms of art and amour means this absolutely is a show not to be missed, a fascinating audience driven exhibition that promises unforgettable experiences.” The majority of these artists reside in Las Vegas, and their influences represent a global experience.

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About the Art Motel

“Within the 15 square blocks of this year’s Life is Beautiful Art & Music Festival in Downtown Las Vegas is the former Town Lodge Motel,” said Joey Vanas, Life is Beautiful partner. “We intend to transform the now vacant motel and courtyard into an amazing showcase of art and artists, for a unique popup exhibition that will be open throughout the festival.”

The Art Motel is an amazing showcase for Las Vegas artists, and dozens of local creators, collectives, non-profits, classrooms, and galleries are creating site-specific murals and motel room installations for the 2015 Art Motel Exhibition in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Art Motel at Life is Beautiful 2015 features a diverse and talented lineup of CREATORS, including site-specific fine art, conceptual artists, community muralists, aerosol artists, architectural installations, performance art, immersive spectacle, high-tech interactive courtyard and room activations, and several independently curated ‘motel room exhibitions’ from Las Vegas art galleries and artist collectives, including INTIMATELY FEMALE from Sin City Gallery!

For more information on INTIMATELY FEMALE and the latest festival news http://lifeisbeautiful.com/artists/sin-city-gallery/

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About Life is Beautiful

Life is Beautiful is an inspirational company dedicated to helping people conquer their fears and chase their dreams. Its signature project, the Life is Beautiful Festival was founded by Rehan Choudhry in 2013 and launched in October of that same year as a highly successful lifestyle event featuring marquee musicians, chefs, artists and speakers. Held in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas, Life is Beautiful attracted more than 60,000 attendees in its first year, grew to more than 90,000 attendees in its second year and expanded to a three-day festival. For more information on the company’s projects and the latest festival news, please visit http://www.lifeisbeautiful.com.

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About Sin City Gallery

Sin City Gallery is known internationally as a destination experience. The gallery is continually featured in the press for its exemplary exhibitions. The gallery produces 12 Inches of Sin, the largest international juried art exhibition of provocative contemporary art in Nevada. Sin City Gallery has been recognized as one of the best 25 galleries in American by the American Art Awards. It is located inside The Arts Factory at 107 E. Charleston Boulevard, Suite 100, Las Vegas, Nevada in the Downtown Las Vegas 18bArts District. Information regarding the gallery’s exhibitions may be viewed at www.sincitygallery.com.

Instagram: @sincitygallery
Twitter: @sincitygallery
Facebook: Sin City Gallery

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