Circumstance Dictates Course

pt2. (Blocked Into Treasure)

Continued from the previous post:

But then continuing events would change the direction my art was taking.

I was being stopped too often by Casino security for unfounded terrorism concerns.

Being stopped and exiled from Aria, The Venetian, Circus Circus; I no longer felt free to explore and was constantly on the lookout for Security while being aware of the multitude of cameras in any casino. Despite showing camera playback to security personnel and describing the abstract photos I was making as an attempt to release myself from restriction, I was too suspicious of a character to be allowed to continue; my cameras and lenses being the principal concern. My argument that all the people taking photographs through the casinos with their cell phones was no help in my defense. I was low-hanging fruit. One guard’s logic was that the people photographing with cell phones were all guests staying at the casino. (“??”)

One time at the Venetian, after shutting off my camera and capping the lens, because I didn’t turn around and go home but chose instead to continue through the casino on my way to a shopping mall, I was surrounded by five security guards, one with a dog, all with their hands on pistol, a few standing at a distance in obtuse angles while the head of Security questioned me. From that incident, at that casino, I became known there as the “multi-exposure guy.”

I even asked for permission once from the Sands/Venetian organization and was denied access to take photographs for my exploratory art project. I even offered them usage rights if they found it interesting enough.

They didn’t.

I was frustrated at the very least and felt my time with multiple exposures was ending—my local sources were blocked.

You see, it’s not always about art with us artists; it is often a method of thinking about life through a creative formation (or rather, while in that process which involves observation and trial), and that leads to some enlightening strata as one digs deeper into philosophical ground or historical lineage or a theory that develops during the creative progress. It’s not always just about art for art’s sake: for some of us, it’s a process of experiencing and considering life. And yes, we sound weird about it in conversations and blogs.

I found pawn stores and vintage shops in the Las Vegas Arts District [this was pre-covid]. Yes, it was a drive. But now the time was more concentrated to a full day through 5 stores every other week.

For the next year, these stores fed me with no end of source material and without anxiety since I had permission from the shop owners to make my creative explorations. The creative flow was vital again.

From this shift, the images advanced into new thematic territory.

I was in discovery heaven.

And then, 2020…

(continued in part 3).