Sheila Swan

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Nevada’s iconic artform comes to life.

Sheila Swan and Peter Laufer take readers on a journey, not only along the Las Vegas Strip, but down quiet, two-lane rural roads punctuated occasionally by a neon sign—those glistening beacons that represent civilization in our vast Great Basin. The photographers’ stunning work captures the argon violets, krypton purples, helium golds, and xenon blues that glow amidst the nighttime desert sky.

The book makes clear that neon is not just a medium for casino advertising. The colorful images of cowboys and cowgirls, animals, desert landscapes, and countless other creative designs all illuminate an aspect of Americana—the neon sign—that helps define Nevada and its businesses, from bars and casinos to hardware stores, restaurants, motels, and theaters that line the streets of the Silver State’s cities and towns, and those rural areas that are barely a blip on the map. With a compelling blend of striking full-color photographs and fascinating historical commentary, the book celebrates an artform that wholly embraces the state’s unique personality.

First published in 1994, this newly updated and expanded edition of Neon Nevada explores the resurgence of this artform during the last decade, which has resulted in an appreciation of Nevada neon that is not likely to fade. Swan and Laufer’s project, this survey of neon, casts the new edition as a defining source for neon scholars and attracts neon aficionados to what can only be defined as a medium as distinctive and interesting as Nevada itself.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: I spent time in Nevada on several occasions in the olden days, before this book came out the first time. It's very hot there, and even where it isn't very hot, it's very dry. Lake Tahoe is the weirdest experience for a natural-born coast dweller: A big body of water that makes you thirsty to look at because you're so damn dehydrated by the air around you.

No desert rat, me.

The glory of neon is, unsurprisingly, perfect as an artform for a place like Nevada: Best enjoyed in the dark, going out at night in one's air-conditioned car, to admire the exuberance and the sheer delicious excess of it all:



I'm sure at least a few of y'all know someone, or are someone, who yearns to take a holiday in Las Vegas or Reno. This Yule, on your #Booksgiving evening of sitting quietly and dreaming over a book, enjoy one that absolutely bursts with color, vibrancy, and an unmatched sense of place.


They don't come more evocative than this!… (altro)

Neon Nevada by Sheila Swan and Peter Laufer is an expanded edition that was first published in 1994. This beautiful volume is not only attractive but very informative.

I will preface my comments with a little about my understanding and opinion of neon prior to reading this book. For the most part I have been indifferent to neon lighting and signs except where they dominate or are part of an art installation. Most of the time I gave them little thought, sometimes (such as the Vegas strip and some city streets elsewhere) they dazzled and periodically they seemed like a nuisance. The nuisance part more often than not was more a statement about the overall location, not the neon itself, but as the main visual representation it caught the flak. I have always appreciated their use in various forms of art, whether 3D where they are physically part of the artwork or in photographic work where they serve to provide ambience. That said...

I have a whole new appreciation for neon, signage in particular, as both the work of skilled craftsmen (from design through creation and installation) and as a strong touchstone for nostalgia. Growing up we traveled a lot, both driving for vacations and moving, and I don't think I realized just how much signs bring back those memories. I actually dug out some old photographs from travels in the 60s and 70s and found more instances of neon signs in the background than I expected.

This volume also gave me a wonderful glimpse into aspects of Nevada history I was unfamiliar with, even though many trips to and from California took me through the state, as well as trips to Nevada. Who knew seeing old, neglected signs could almost bring a tear to my eye? Especially ones that took human or animal shape.

I would recommend this to those who already love neon, as well as those, like me, who have been largely indifferent. I would also suggest you do some online searches for additional images from places you may have lived or traveled, you may be surprised by how much neon has been a part of your life. Also, check out the many uses of neon in artwork, that is a fascinating topic in itself.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (altro)