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J K Russ: Desert Flower Power Landscape

https://main--clarkcountynv--aemsites.aem.page/assets/images/government/departments/parks___recreation/services/public_art/galleries/rotunda_gallery_at_the_government_center/rotunda_past_exhibits/exhibit-jkruss-desertflowerpowerlandsscape-9-2018.jpgJ.K. Russ: Desert Flower Power Landscape
July 23 – September 14, 2018
Clark County Government Center Rotunda Gallery, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway,
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(Facility hours: M-F 8 AM - 5 PM)

Opening Reception, Talk & Special Performance By the UNLV Dance Club - August 2, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

For more information, call Clark County Public Art, 702-455-8685.

“Desert Flower Power Landscape” is based on the concept of a mound of rounded desert boulders, covered with collaged hybrid images of ‘desert life’. The ‘boulders’ are formed by beanbags covered by rugs printed with JK Russ collages of desert landscapes and reclining figures of Las Vegas locals; their heads collaged with cactus flowers and desert plants, suggesting the human subjects have assimilated with their desert environment in order to survive.

These collage works incorporate photographs by Russ of a diverse range of the Las Vegas community who answered her call for photographic subjects. The initial Desert Flower Power photo-shoot took place at the downtown Photo Bang Bang Studio during their First Friday Photography Community Open House, in May 2017.

The artist invites Clark County staff and visitors to utilize the Desert Flower Power beanbags as a relaxed seating area. Selfies or group photos in the installation shared on social media are welcomed. Suggested hashtags: #desertflowerpower #jkruss #rotundagallery
Originally from New Zealand, JK Russ relocated to Las Vegas in 2010. A graduate of Auckland’s MIT Faculty of Creative Arts, she works predominantly with the medium of hand-constructed collage, creating fantasy environments where high fashion, high art and hybrid human/creatures merge. The women she portrays have been described as “strong, passionate and alien”, flourishing amongst spiny cacti and dramatic rock formations.

“JK Russ’s collages are visual seductions in paper, crafted from fragmented patterns, often using themes of environment and fashion.” - Desert Companion, Best of the City Awards 2016

Recently Russ has extended her practice to create large-scale audience-participation collage installations, as seen at the Life is Beautiful festival and the P3Studio artist residency at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. She was the featured artist for VEGAS magazine’s Art of the City edition 2015 and a selected artist in Nevada Museum of Art’s “Tilting the Basin: Contemporary Art of Nevada” 2016-2017. She recently created a touring Hearts4Vegas installation for the City of Las Vegas, collating cards & notes contributed after the October 1 tragedy.