Over Done

When it comes to public art, hustle may be displacing substance

BY Nicholas Barnette

The similarities between Mr. Doodle (whose real name is Sam Cox) and Pretty Done (Adam Rellah), evident when viewing their art side by side, run deeper than style. And Cox and Rellah have both been compared to pop artist Keith Haring, an activist who rose to prominence during the AIDS epidemic, which ultimately cut his life short at 31. Yet neither Cox nor Rellah, although invoking the Haring brand, offer fresh spins on Haring’s conception of pop art; nor do they echo Haring’s embrace of political art. While Haring riffed on his influences by playing with form, medium, and perspective, Cox and Rellah appropriate Haring’s recognizable brand in service of their (commendable) hustle. Is it style over substance? Compare for yourself.

READ MORE: Nick’s full analysis of Pretty Done’s Las Vegas work is available online.

Survey Sez

Mr. Doodle

 Dresses in doodle attire

 Creates designs that abound with smileys, doodads, gamma rays, and the like

 Told The Mil Source that his intention was to paint until “the entire Earth is covered in doodles”

 Last year covered every surface of his $1.5 million mansion in his signature scribbles

 Has brand deals with Fendi, Puma, MTV, and Samsung

Pretty Done

 Has been known to don a doodle suit

 Demonstrates an affinity for happy faces

 Superimposes familiar symbols, such as flamingos and the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, against doodle backgrounds

 Told Las Vegas Weekly, “I want to paint the world … I want to paint a plane. I want to do an air balloon”

 Has work in several buzzy downtown spots, as well as larger local venues, such as Allegiant Stadium

Rando results from unscientific studies

Keith Haring

 Cites Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky and French painter Jean Dubuffet as influences

 Used his art to confront government inaction on the AIDS epidemic, mobilize support for the South African anti-apartheid movement, and tackle other sociopolitical topics

 Foundation has licensing deals with Zara, Target, Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, and Adidas

 Of all Americans, Nevadans have the highest interest in crypto-currency, a tally of search terms revealed.

(cryptobetting.org)

 Coincidentally, we also love movies more than 45 other states’ residents. Our favorite? Horror. (japan-101.com)

 Las Vegas had the fourth-largest industrial real estate sale in the country last year.

(CommercialEdge.com)

 Also, based on such strict criteria as “beer lover- friendliness,” we are the No. 1 city in the U.S. for bachelor parties, or as lawnlove. com calls it, “creating boisterous memories with the bros.”