Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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ART FULL Wonders in Bloom Abstract Study 07 by Art Wolfe. L ast month, when the Palazzo's Rotella Gallery (formerly known as Natural Wonders) opened a branch in New York's Soho neighborhood, the consumer art world saw that it's possible for a gallery to expand in reverse—that with a little work, a venture can spring up in the desert and quickly establish an annex in the art capital of the world. The Rotella Gallery opened early last year after eight years of conversation between artists Robert Rotella, an expert in macro flower photography and landscapes, and Art Wolfe, the acclaimed nature photographer known for the former PBS show Travels to the Edge and the more than 80 books he has published. The Vegas gallery first drew notice not only for its limited-edition collectible works (priced from $2,500 to $30,000) but also for its "open edition collection," equally stunning images that aren't limited in number, with prices starting around $600. The Soho location recently debuted Wolfe's Human Canvas project (humancanvasproject.com), an 84-piece collection, combining painting and photography, that abstracts the human form. It makes its way to the Vegas gallery this month. "The Human Canvas collection pays homage to the gifts of a life spent looking," says Wolfe. "I returned to my origins as a painter and used both brush and camera to create this collection. Each image draws inspiration from the remote places I've traveled and the indigenous peoples I have met there." Wolfe acknowledges that devotees of his nature photography will find the new collection a surprising departure. "I understand this," he says, "but much of what I've captured over the years has centered on the many different cultures around the world." He explains that the seeds for the series were planted years ago when he started taking photographs for his books Tribes and Vanishing Act: "Filming for Tribes informed me of the practices of adornment in traditional cultures that use the body as a canvas. Vanishing Act inspired and fascinated me by how patterns of spots and stripes evolved, enabling animals to camouflage themselves for survival." The gallery's unique combination of works from Rotella and Wolfe should allow it to thrive in two very different markets. "People gravitate to our collection when they visit," says Tony Carnevale, director of gallery operations. "And now we can make the work available on the other end of our nation. It's only natural for artists whose work comes about because they travel the globe." Palazzo, 702-431-6030; rotellagallery.com V PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE ROTELLA GALLERY A FINE-ART NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO BRANCHES OUT TO NEW YORK FROM ITS LAS VEGAS HOME. BY ADAM BAER 64 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 064_V_SC_Artfull_Nov13.indd 64 10/22/13 11:47 AM