A Sacred Ode
Why this desire to share his fascination with Las Vegas through photographs? Is François Paolini, more than anybody, in on the secret of Roman gods, Egyptian gods, movie theater gods, gods of the circus and the stage that are so numerous in Las Vegas? Is this well-known French photographer so fanatic as to demonstrate the mockery of the Old World of which Vegas’ fun and entertainment could be the incarnation? And what if the opposite were true: that Las Vegas as shown off by Paolini is the last sacred ode to the outrageousness that this modern, materialistic, down-to-earth world has forgotten? What a wonderful tribute paid to Las Vegas for its centennial celebration!
If Paolini feels at home in Las Vegas, it’s because it offers the possibility to create a world in which man raises his eyes to the gods instead of keeping them fixed on the asphalt. Whether they depict a gold ingot, a dark pyramid that has dropped from a science fiction sky, Legos for big kids or a concourse for giants, Paolini’s photos are composed like paintings. However, to be beautiful, they have to be true – they must seize a moment of life. They require a painter’s patience and the searing intensity of the photographic moment. This explains why he releases his shutter so rarely, waiting hours for some shots and walking for miles to capture rare shots. They are paintings of atmosphere that bring together in one image what the visitor has perceived without always analyzing. They are a concentration of dreams for those who were not there. The main power of Paolini’s photos is in persuading us to believe that what is most ordinary is often the most improbable.
What does Las Vegas give us today? Dreams! Not dreams about success, but the success of dreams. Vegas does not teach that every dream can come true at any time or turn into instant fortune. The only tangible reality here is the very fact of being able to dream.
And if you dream, you’ve already won!