What's an artist doing in Las Vegas?
I hate to admit it, but Las Vegas is not the place for art. Art has no place in Las Vegas. It doesn't "belong here" -in the idiomatic sense of the term. The developer Steve Wynn appreciated the price tag of famous works of art, and he tried diligently to create a physical presence for art in his world-class resorts, not so much as hotel room décor (a crass, nod-to-class gesture), as much as to present a true, cultural experience -in the Old World tradition. He failed. This isn't Monte Carlo. Las Vegas never was, it will never be, and above all it doesn't want to be, Monte Carlo.
The jewel box gallery for art exhibits in the Bellagio Casino is sparsely attended. That's not because the exhibits are less than world-class; “How much for the Monet?” Unless a painting seen in Las Vegas is signed by a famous name artist, and carries an (insured) value of millions, it's got no box office value. Las Vegas is itself a show - an exhibition - with which art can't compete. An example of a truly landmark Las Vegas exhibit was the behind-glass display of One Million Bucks by Binion Casino. It was possibly Las Vegas's first exhibit sensation. The display has long since been taken-down, because “a million bucks” is not as impressive a stack of paper bills to look at, as it once was.
The fact is, it is impossible to win at games of chance without the elusive lucky hand. Luck is all-important in Las Vegas -not skill (much less talent). Winning is the main event (not self-expression). For those who don't gamble, the retail experience is the main attraction. It's a sure thing. Buying pricey merchandise is under the buyer's total, and absolute, control. The luck factor is irrelevant.
I (for one), am not addicted to shopping. You could call me an optimist regarding material needs and wants. In other words, I'm not an impulse buyer. I know (as everyone does), that impulse buying is almost as strong as the passion for gambling. It is a taste, a craving, for material things. And it is, at the same moment, how art gets mixed-up with materialism. In the background is always the constant reminder that art is not predicated on price.
There's a saying, heard among gamblers, that gambling is “better than sex.” Since I can't say why that is, I guess I'm not qualified to offer an opinion; instead, I thought of a spin-off challenge. Substitute whatever you will for gambling in the premise; is (fill-in the blank) better than sex? My mother had this to say about everything: “Better is the enemy of the good.” About that, all I can say is I made my choice: art is better. Maybe that's what I like about gamblers, gambling, and Las Vegas.
I'm an action type of guy. Buying is for the wife. When it became a Mecca for tourists, Las Vegas tried to develop a family vibe, as a vacation place, not exclusively as a gambling hot spot. It wasn't built in its remote, desert location, to be intentionally inaccessible to tourists. Remoteness is, as many have noted, a feature of a great travel destination. Travel literature doesn't need to mention that a trip to Las Vegas is, most likely, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It may indeed be the last thing some people ever do.