Estardas from the collection of UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art

Estardas, 2010

Cardboard, paint, glue

60 x 120 x 24 in

Inv: 2015.02.001

In Storage

Justin Favela
Estardas, 2010
Cardboard, paint, glue
Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art Collection
Gift of the artist
2015.02.001

Favela’s background as a native Las Vegas artist of working class Mexican and Guatemalan heritage is asserted in this piece, which transforms the landmark sign of the city’s historic—now imploded—Stardust casino into an expression of vernacular pronunciation and thrifty materials. (DKS)

“I hope that when people see my work, they see themselves. I think it’s really funny, a lot of people don’t know I’m the artist sometimes and they’ll make a comment about my work when I’m in an installation, and they’ll say, like, wow this person had a lot of time on their hands. Or they’ll say stuff like this is just paper, I could do this, or my kids could do this. And I think that’s awesome! I’m like, yeah, you could do it. Thankfully I have the privilege of having enough time on my hands to do this, and so do you if you really wanted to. But I like this idea of people finding my work accessible, and that has a lot to do with the materials I use. It’s just cardboard and paper. Anybody has access to that, you know?”
Kaila Schedeen, ”Interview: Justin Favela and ¿Quihúbole?” (Fusebox Festival website, 2019)

“It’s a little nod to all the people who worked there. That’s the Stardust they knew – Estardas."
Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, “Piñata Pride,” American Craft Magazine, June/July 2018

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From UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art

Alexa Hoyer

Assemblage with Head, 2015

Archival pigmented print on Dibond

43 x 54.75 x 1.75 in
Matthew Couper

Horror Vacui! (International), 2014

Oil on linen

10.5 x 13.75 in
Tim Bavington

Elephant Stone/Full Fathom Five (Orange Study), 2005

Acrylic on canvas

59 x 47.75 x 1.5625 in
Sam Davis

Unidentified Species, Shark: Nevada Desert, 2004

Digital C-print made from scan of 4"x5" black and white negative
Barry Gealt

Bright Light Over the Field, 2000

Painting

21.5 x 59.375 in
George Siejka

Maple Street, 1995

Oil on linen

33.25 x 47 in
Lorna Simpson

III (Three Wishbones in a Wood Box), 1994

Cedar box containing felt, ceramic, bronze, and silicone rubber

13.5 x 5.3125 x 2.125 in
Jane Callister

Hot Rod, 1992

Mixed media on panel

19.375 x 23.375 x 2.5 in

View All Artworks

About the artist

Justin Favela

From Favela's biography: "Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and known for large-scale installations and sculptures that manifest his interactions with American pop culture and the Latinx experience, Justin Favela has exhibited his work both internationally and across the United States. His installations have been commissioned by museums including the Denver Art Museum in Colorado and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas. His latest major project, Puente Nuevo, is on view in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, through June 2020. He is the recipient of the 2018 Alan Turing LGTBIQ Award for International Artist. Favela hosts two culture-oriented podcasts, 'Latinos Who Lunch' and 'The Art People Podcast.' He holds a BFA in fine art from UNLV."

Image courtesy of the artist. Photograph by Mikayla Whitmore.

Additional Details

Additional Artworks

Assemblage with Head, 2015

Horror Vacui! (International), 2014

Elephant Stone/Full Fathom Five (Orange Study), 2005

Unidentified Species, Shark: Nevada Desert, 2004

Bright Light Over the Field, 2000

Maple Street, 1995

III (Three Wishbones in a Wood Box), 1994

Hot Rod, 1992

About the artist

Justin Favela