SPEAKING TO LAS VEGAS IN THE LANGUAGE OF LAS VEGAS
AT THE ADULT ENTERTAINMENT EXPO

A PERFORMANCE ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP (in front of The Venetian)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2010, 3pm-7pm

Las Vegas artist Laurenn McCubbin explores the connections between the economy of Las Vegas and the legal and illegal sex industry with a performance on the Las Vegas Strip that mimics everyday economic exchanges.

Editor’s Note: Interviews and hi-res images available upon request.

Las Vegas, NV – Artist Laurenn McCubbin aims to uncover some of the roots of the hidden economic exchange between sex work and the Las Vegas economy, and what better time to highlight it than during one of the largest conventions in Las Vegas – the Adult Entertainment Expo? Taking place from January 7-10, this convention brings in upwards of 30,000 convention goers and will bring in untold money to Las Vegas’ struggling economy. But how much more money will be paid into Las Vegas’ “underground economy”, and to the sex workers who keep the “sin” in Sin City?

McCubbin has created her own array of illustrated “hooker cards” featuring actual Las Vegas sex workers, that mimic the advertisements passed out on the Strip by escort agencies. Accompanied by the same workers that the agencies hire, she will be passing these cards out in front of the Venetian Hotel & Casino, right around the corner from the Sands Convention Center, which is hosting the Adult Entertainment Expo. As well as the hooker cards, McCubbin has created her own rolling billboard (sponsored by Vegas Mobile Media - http://www.vegasmobilemedia.com) that will be trolling the Strip during this performance. By recreating what is admittedly a common occurrence on the Strip, the artist hopes to draw attention to the contradiction of Las Vegas – a city built on sin and sexual excess that keeps prostitution illegal, while maintaining a financial relationship that continues to make sex work a viable and profitable economy.

The secondary part of this project will take place off the Strip, via the phone number and website that McCubbin is promoting on the mock hooker cards – (877) LADY-BIZ and www.vegaslady biz.com. These multimedia presentations go live on Saturday, January 9th, and include audio and video interviews with the sex workers depicted in her work.

On February 5th, at the Grant Hall gallery at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, McCubbin will be presenting photo and video documentation of this performance in a gallery setting, as well as pieces involving giant sized hooker cards, a memorial wall of custom made hooker shoes, and a burlesque performance.

I just got an opportunity to go to the Mustang Ranch outside of Reno to interview ladies & draw their portraits. I cannot TELL you how exciting this is, and what a boon it would be for my upcoming thesis show. However, the only day they can accommodate me in Sunday, Nov 15th, which means I have an insanly quick turnaround, & I need to buy an overpriced plane ticket & get a rental car. So... help a sista out? Buy a print from my Etsy store - i have 3 new ones up, as well as 3 older pieces:

You should follow me on Twitter to get updates on my Hookertown Adventure - I’m so excited!

I was interviewed about the wedding, with pics by the lovely Bonnie Berry.

Great interview with my beloved Jill Allyn Stafford, in which she gives me a very kind shout out. You should check it out if for not other reason than there are beautiful images of her work for you to check out.

Big weekend coming up - having a birthday party for Alex as well as a housewarming. A bunch of the awesomest people in Vegas will be here, and we are even importing more people from LA and KCMO. Hilariously, I am regretting the lost studio time, because I am chugging right along on stuff:

HOOKER CARDS… so many hooker cards…

Ink wash/gouache study for a larger piece.

So… this piece. Remember when I said I thought I was finished with this? Evidently I was wrong. I was really loathe to do anything with it, because I loved the pencil drawing so much. But I kept thinking, “this really needs some color and depth.” so… I started by just adding the red gouache:

That was good, but not enough. So I jumped in and inked only the figure, did a light ink wash (it’s lighter than it looks in the photo), and now… I’m not sure. I am going to add more gouache to the sign, but.. I think I miss the gentleness of the pencil. Not sure, not sure. I’m going to live with it for a little while and see what I think.

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
(Bleah, but I liked Eddie Izzard as Reepicheep)
The Rundown
(I love the Rock. There is no shame in my love for him. It is pure.)
Kung Fu Panda
(Surprisingly awesome!)
Mamma Mia!
(Unsurprisingly awful. Plus, ABBA.)
Ghost Town
(I like Kinear and Gervais, but this was boring)
Iron Man
(YAY!)
RoboCop
Dawn of the Dead
(I was forced to watch both of these by Alex. I want those 4 hours back.)
Lars and the Real Girl
(Terrific. Odd. I heart Ryan Gosling.)
Hancock
(Bleach.)
Helvetica
(Every designer and design student needs to watch this)
The Dark Knight
(Not Oscar worthy. Sorry.)
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Snatch
(EEEEEEEE! STATHAM!)
Enchanted
(Fluffy and enjoyable)
The Professional
(Still love this movie. What is Jean Reno doing now? Like, RIGHT NOW?)

READING:
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
(Got it for Getchell for his birthday, he read it in a day. My turn!)
“Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” by Laura Mulvey
(Investigating the “male gaze”)
“Patrilineage” by Mira Schor
“Eccentric Abstraction” by Lucy Lippard
(It’s feminist art theory week! Wheee!)

DOING:
Drawing - I have one large piece done, two others started.
Painting - I have been working with gouache and ink washes. Did an enamel piece, wasn’t thrilled with it. Did a small ink and gouache study that I am happy with.
Sculpting - Sorta. I am starting a VERY LARGE piece, but that is only in the sketch stage right now.

And of course, there is the ever expanding wall of hooker cards. This is… still in progress. Update to come later this week. I am still thinking about it.

Enamel on wood, and it’s DRIVING ME CRAZY. The enamel isn’t spreading well, and I have all kinds of unforeseen ridges. I am going to try sanding it down - hopefully that will work. Grr.

WALL. OF. HOOKER. CARDS.
I’d like to fill the whole wall to start with. After that… well, I have ideas, but nothing I am ready to talk about yet. Except that I might do a giant hooker card. One thing about Vegas is that it does make me want to build everything on a monumental scale.

Hooker cards.
(Collected on the Strip for me by Alex.)

Projections.
(Taken in my studio.)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Originally uploaded by Kelly Sue

Cupcakes. Always cupcakes. (These were made by Kelly Sue.)

Painting with enamel.
(Thanks for the tips, Rusty - I like the more toxic 1-Shot stuff, and I am working in my studio, so the animals are safe from the fumes!)

Painting with an airbrush.

Foreclosures in Las Vegas. Alex was telling me tonight that Vegas has the highest rate of abandoned and vacant houses in the US. Higher than even Detroit.

I’ll post pictures of the painting progress on Wednesday.