S.I.N.* City Schematic (Big Pit Boss) *Surveillance Information Network

Baryta fiber photogram print. 10 ⅗ x 13 ½ in. 2022.

Drawing from a range of contemporary and historical documents, my photogram S.I.N.* City Schematic (Big Pit Boss) *Surveillance Information Network approaches Las Vegas from an engineering perspective: how does the Strip and its culture of casinos work, and how does it fit into a larger system? I was inspired by Jane Kuenz’s chapter “S.I.N. City” from Strip Cultures: Finding America in Las Vegas. The signing of the Patriot Act in 2001 signaled the expansion of mass civilian surveillance by federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. The use of many of these surveillance technologies was pioneered by Las Vegas casinos, Kuenz’s writes. I imagined zooming out on a map that turned into a blueprint, revealing a web of connections illustrating the power exerted over Nevada residents by casino owners, the military, and the FBI.

Exhibition History

2022. High-End Wasteland, Grant Hall Gallery, Las Vegas, NV.