In The Desert Of Desire: Las Vegas And The Culture Of Spectacle
Las Vegas, says William Fox, is a pay-as-you-play paradise that succeeds in satisfying our fantasies of wealth and the excesses of pleasure and consumption that go with it. In this context, Fox examines how Las Vegas’s culture of spectacle has obscured the boundaries between high art and entertainment extravaganza, nature and fantasy, for-profit and nonprofit enterprises. His purview ranges from casino art galleries—including Steve Wynn’s private collection and a branch of the famed Guggenheim Museum—to the underfunded Las Vegas Art Museum; from spectacular casino animal collections like those of magicians Siegfried and Roy and Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef exhibit to the city’s lack of support for a viable public zoo; from the environmental and psychological impact of lavish water displays in the arid desert to the artistic ambiguities intrinsic to Las Vegas’s floating world of showgirls, lapdancers, and ballet divas. That Las Vegas represents one of the world’s most opulent displays of private material wealth in all its forms, while providing miserly funding for local public amenities like museums and zoos, is no accident, Fox maintains. Nor is it unintentional that the city’s most important collections of art and exotic fauna are presented in the context of casino entertainment, part of the feast of sensation and excitement that seduces millions of visitors each year. Instead, this phenomenon shows how our insatiable modern appetite for extravagance and spectacle has diminished the power of unembellished nature and the arts to teach and inspire us, and demonstrates the way our society privileges private benefit over public good. Given that Las Vegas has been a harbinger of national cultural trends, Fox’s commentary offers prescient insight into the increasing commercialization of nature and culture across America.
An unusual and insightful look at Vegas,
In “the Desert of Desire,” William L. Fox explores one of the most unique cities in America. Make no mistake; this isn’t another historical overview. Given the author, the reader already knows that it will be unlike any other work on the subject. The book examines the question, what has and continues to make Las Vegas such a popular world destination? In short, the city creates spectacle that carefully responds to the desires of the day. The author uses an odd assortment of themes to elaborate this point. Case studies are offered in art and architecture, menageries and zoos, dance and sex. One of the author’s main observations is how there is a blur between the public and private spheres in Las Vegas. To illustrate this point, the book spends a good portion of energy on the art world. In most cities, art is a public endeavor while for Las Vegas it is usually a casino led enterprise. “In the Desert of Desire” paints a detailed and accurate recreation of what it’s like to visit both Sin City’s main art galleries and Los Angeles’ Getty Center. More over, aquariums and zoos are usually a public endeavor for most cities. Again, Shark Reef and Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden root these experiences in the private domain. Libertarianism offers an explanation for the city and state’s curious blending of public and private sectors. The dance section is not only an interesting examination of the history of ballet, but a look at the curious exchange between Las Vegas’ exotic and ballet dancers. The book is a tad dated in that spectacles like the Springs Preserve, Zumanity and City Center were still being developed when the book went to print. In the end, such developments don’t significantly change the main points of the work. Outside of this, William L. Fox tends to publish as either a fine arts writer or a naturalist with a love of the desert. As would be expected, “The Desert of Desire” is written by the art reviewer. For me, most of the topics have little personal interest but I’m working through his entire bibliography after getting hooked on the desert adventures. This read didn’t disappoint as Fox not only makes the material interesting, he always makes a meaningful contribution to the topic. As with all of the author’s writings, this is an interdisciplinary exploration and a philosophical journey. Beyond the city’s official PR and common misconceptions, “In the Desert of Desire: Las Vegas and the Culture of Spectacle” is an unusual and insightful look at Las Vegas.
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|Analyzing the psyche of Las Vegas,
Las Vegas is a unique city in the history of the world in that it was founded by those seeking escape, and exists as a place for those seeking to escape. The latter has created a city built on catering to the desires of other people, which is the topic of this short book. Whether it be gambling, shows, sex, or exotic animals, no other city in human history has so excelled at providing entertainment of so many forms and types in one place at one time. The book examines the different spectacles offered by Las Vegas, with a close eye on the appropriate history, business aspects, and ironies. Each chapter focuses on one specific spectacle; such as art, wildlife, and dance shows. In each, the author traces the development of that spectacle from its origins in Western history to its growth in American culture, and final establishment in Vegas. For each, the author also shows how private and public actors interact to create the final product seen by tourists. All in all, a very interesting and good work. This reviewer has visited Las Vegas twice, and after reading this book, I more fully understand it now and appreciate when went into creating it.
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