One might not associate the Las Vegas Strip with high-end fine photography, but a new arrival on the sophisticated lounge scene might just change that.
The aptly named champagne bar Fizz opened in the Caesars Palace Hotel in March, but it's not just another swanky watering hole with high-priced cocktails. In between sips from your flute of Dom Perignon (US$1,450 for a bottle of Brut Rose), cast your eyes around the walls to see photography that is only ever enjoyed by guests to Elton John and David Furnish's homes.
Furnish, a former ad executive and now filmmaker who is prominently involved with the Elton John Aids Foundation, is creative director of Fizz - and chief among his priorities is infusing the space with art, turning it into what is probably Las Vegas' only cocktail lounge-museum.
Furnish says that when he was first asked to oversee the concept of Fizz, having art as a central focus was almost a given. "Elton and I are big photography and modern art collectors," he says. "We live with our art and we entertain around our art. The nicest compliment that I've received about Fizz is from friends who say that it feels like they've just walked into our home."
The 51 photos that line the walls of the 2,750-square-foot space come from the couple's various homes (their photography collection alone amounts to about 9,000 prints, spread between an estimated eight homes in the US and Europe), and span works from photographers such as David LaChapelle, David Bailey and Lee Friedlander. Images run from the erotic to the colourful, from the perverse to visual tributes.
"Our goal was to choose photographs from a broad range of artists that would also reflect what Las Vegas is all about - colour, a celebration of life, vibrancy. It has so many different angles to it and it made sense to use this medium, as photography really is the art form of our time."
Standout photographs include LaChapelle's famous shot of a nude Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, which presides over the Owner's Table in a roped-off VIP section upstairs. Another LaChapelle shot features John with Elizabeth Taylor, the two nestled together on a bed, she in a regal pink turban and bejewelled sandals. They were filming the video for his song Original Sin, from his 2001 album, Songs from the West Coast.