Juxtapoz Art and Culture-Spring_2019

JUXTAPOZ.COM 19

REPORT

an experience standing in front of Giotto’s work
when he collapsed and fainted. Well, the same
thing happened to me in front of Rogier van der
Weyden’s painting called Descent from the Cross.
It really got me, from the rendering of the robes to
the painful emotion emanating from the piece.
I literally lost consciousness, and though waking
up confused, I somehow got this grasp of how
some of the techniques were used to achieve
the piece. It would be like if somebody played
saxophone and studied really hard, but didn’t
quite understand jazz, but got to see John Coltrane
in person and had that moment where they got it.
For me, it was like, “Okay, I get it, this is what I’m
supposed to do.” The moment I got back to Las
Vegas, I started painting Revelations.

I was back home, living at my parents’ house in a
12-by-12 bedroom. I didn’t even have an easel, so
I set up a dresser drawer, sat on the edge and did
that painting, all in acrylic, even the glazing, because
they wouldn’t allow me to paint oil in the house.

This must be when you started teaching art. I’ve
read that you’re an expert on color composition.
I think it’s a core course for all art, including
photography, ceramics, sculpture and everything.
I think it gives you all the exercise you need to
understand composition and have an awareness
of negative space and how to control it. I found
teaching to be an amazing experience, and I really
learned more in that role than as a student.

That said, while I took pride in growing up in a
family of teachers and felt I was really making
progress with the students, I was informed
that I didn’t stand much chance of being hired
full-time, as they wanted to hire from outside
the community. I took that as a huge diss
and decided to leave and form Stanford and
Associates, my own design company. What
seemed to be a bad experience actually changed
my life in a terrific way.

That was a big change, from academics to
business, especially coming from a family of
teachers.
We did win four awards that year, but it was
harsh, I’ll tell you that, especially because the
business community in Las Vegas was extremely
conservative at the time. That did not fit with
me at all. I couldn’t stand the business culture,
so I’d try not to open my mouth when they
were spewing their reactionary, right-wing
pronouncements.

But the whole time you got to work with artists
and photographers.
I learned a great deal about commercial
photography, watching them work and direct

photography, people who were really good. And at

this time, I married Lynn, who is a key part of the

whole experience.

Well, I absolutely know how important she is to

every aspect of your life.

I had met her in 1970 at UNLV and was really

attracted to her, but I was engaged to another girl,

whom I did go ahead and marry. It didn’t work out,

but then, through another UNLV BFA graduate,

I reconnected with Lynn, and it was magical.

We got married in the summer of 1984 after three

months—but you know when it’s right. She really

became, and is, my best friend and support.

Oh my god, I never had that kind of support in my

life, somebody who actually believed I could do

this. All I really wanted was to do my work and be

a fine artist—and get out of the casino business,

which I had been doing to supplement things.

You were a blackjack dealer, right?

I was, and the strangest thing is that it’s a great

lesson for life, like looking at the Masks of Mammon

every day, because when you’re dealing blackjack,

you have to stay in the moment. I mean, you’re a

clerk, paying off winners and taking from the losers.

Top left: James Stanford at the Neon Museum Top right and below: Views of the Neon Museum, Las Vegas