By Bill
Martin Caesars' legend reigns.
This
is Caesars Palace. Frank Sinatra and George Burns performed at here,
along
with all the big time movie stars and singers, at one time or
another. 160 World Title Boxing Fights were held here. Evel Knievel
crashed
here, but his son, Robbie Knievel, didn't. The U.S. Davis Cup
tennis matches
were held here, along with Grand Prix's, Rodeos, Hulk Hogan matches,
ice-skating finals, Hockey, and much more. But while most people
know Caesars' glorious past, many do not know its even brighter future.
That future has arrived.
For, while some new hotels on the Las Vegas
strip add lions, roller coasters, or an art collection of Picasso,
Van Gogh and Andy Warhol.
Caesars is
the first to break ground with the artist of the new millennium
-- Steve Kaufman.
Steve Kaufman is following in the footsteps
of artist LeRoy Neiman. Like Neiman, Caesars Palace has commissioned
Kaufman to paint
a master work
"the 35 year history of Caesars Palace. Kaufman was awarded
the famous Picasso Ring by the Picasso Academy of Fine Art in Spain,
honoring
with the "spirit of Picasso." The New York Times
once wrote, "Steve
Kaufman's body of artwork rivals Picasso's at the same age." The
Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam even asked Kaufman (the only American
ever asked) to paint a Van Gogh portrait, to be used for its
logo museum poster.
For Steve Kaufman -- who once worked with Andy
Warhol -- the future of Pop Art, and now Caesars Palace, is a grand
canvass
only he
can paint.
Caesars hires the Master.
When Caesars commissioned Kaufman
to paint a portrait for Caesars' 35 year history, Kaufman knew he must
create
something special.
Afterall, the painting must rival the art being shown
at the nearby Guggenheim
Museum and Bellagio exhibit, both multi-million dollar
priceless art exhibits on the Las Vegas strip. Kaufman, who
has 14 different
bodies
of art styles to his credit, knew he must create a new
style. Kaufman calls this new style, "Museum Art." Through
his process of discovery, he is only now beginning to fully
explore "Museum Art." But
should this new Caesars work be just a painting? Should
it be 3D? Or something else?
Kaufman is exploring the possibilities, challenging
art in every new inception. Like Picasso's various styles,
such
as his Blue
period, Cubic,
and others, Kaufman looked deep into his own stylistic
pallet to create a brand new Museum Art style. Kaufman
delved into
his past
subjects to
create the concept. He mulled over his own painted
icons, such as Frank Sinatra, Boxer Joe Louis, George Burns,
Evel Knievel,
and more, to come
up with the ground plan for a masterpiece: a vast 400-foot
x 15-foot painting that will incorporate more than
300 icons and
headliners
in Caesars Palace's past. What's more, the living icons
will have room to
autograph the painting, making it the first priceless
Museum Art piece of its kind, which depends upon such
interaction
from its
own subjects!
And this was just the beginning.
Truly a masterpiece in the making! This new
Museum Art piece would create not only a new point of view
in Pop
Art, but
also a historic
benchmark
for the grandest Las Vegas casino of all - Caesars
Palace.
The Artist Toils.
Kaufman immediately set out to push himself
and his new art to the next level -- creating the giant
work entitled, "Caesars 35 Year History." Looking
at the 400-foot x 15-foot wall in Caesars' casino,
where his Museum Art piece would be hung, Kaufman knew his
work would bring Caesars' history
and future together. But this new work would
only succeed if the painting forced the observers to participate.
By seeking to draw viewers into
the painting itself, he chose common objects
and made them very special. For example, Kaufman used 80 pairs
of real boxing gloves, with one of
each of the l60 world title fights painted on
each glove. Next, the gloves would actually be signed by the
world title championship boxers who won
the fights, adding both history and flesh and
blood to the painting. To add even more life, a 24-foot x 24-foot
canvass that Tommy "Hit
Man" Hearns and "Sugar" Ray Leonard
fought on would be painted with scenes of their
boxing rounds
-- and signed by both
boxers
-- bringing the viewer, the subject and the event
into one place and time. This new Museum Art
piece was evolving
into more than a
multi-media
mural -- it would be a new Pop Art experience!
Next, to expand the new style, Kaufman painted
6 real heavyweight bags, hung from the ceiling,
and
11 speed
bags depicting
Pop Art friezes
of the world title fights held at Caesars,
in an art-telling-a-story series.
Next, he added 6 motorcycle helmets painted
to look like Evel & Robbie
Knievel helmets, further mixing 3D art and
painting. With every experiment, Kaufman pushed the envelope
of subject, medium, and other art elements,
to create a one-of-a-kind experience that leaps
off the walls of Caesars Palace into the imagination
of the viewer.
Like other classic artists before him (Picasso,
Van Gogh, etc.), Kaufman will unveil to the
world a new
living
art form. Gaining
the attention
of the comtemporary world, he will prove
his place as a mirror of his time.
Kaufman Does
It "His
Way."
"Steve Kaufman, a Pop Art master, is often
quoted, debated, questioned, praised, and, yes, sometimes ridiculed
for his bold views. But one thing
remains clear, his drive to create art "His
Way" is
unwavering.
Kaufman says, "I have no other choice but to create. I always push
myself to the next level. There are over 300 different colors of red,
and there are a million ways to see the red apple in the painting. Art
is about creating the different choices." Like a true artist, Kaufman
challenges that which is the essence of art. Kaufman has stated, "A
painting doesn't have to be on canvas to be an
original. It just seems that a lot of art is
being created just
on canvass, but it
doesn't
seem to be original."
Kaufman continues to take risks, blending
different styles, mediums and mages
to continue reinventing
Pop Art. Kaufman
has always
said, "Why
ever stay the same?"
When Kaufman took on the Caesars Palace
project, he was forced to think outside
his usual
medium, the screen
print canvass,
and create
a new
style in a unique venue, with a challenging
viewing public
-- in one of the world's largest
and busiest casinos! To make matters
more challenging,
he was forced to compete in a "head-to-head" competition
with Van Gogh and Picasso works being
exhibited in two rival Las Vegas
hotels.
But, like the boxers he depicts,
Kaufman not only provides a knockout
punch, he gives his audiences the
only true living artistic experience
in Las Vegas. Once again, Kaufman
has indeed done it "His
Way."
Steve Kaufman's Museum Art piece, entitled, "Caesars 35 Year History," will join his other Caesars work, the "September 11th Memorial." Kaufman's goal is to leave an indelible mark on Caesars Palace and our times.
