Paintings contain whimsical tips for the apocalypse

If you need to know how to survive being buried in an avalanche of neon signs, the Winchester Cultural Center Gallery, 3130 S. McLeod Drive, is the place to go this month.

"How To's," a show of oil paintings by Whitney-area resident Jevijoe Vitug on display during regular business hours through Jan. 4, is a whimsical look at survival.

"It's really a look at the immigrant experience," said Patrick Gaffey, cultural supervisor for Clark County. "He's just telling that story in a very tongue-in-cheek manner."

With one exception, the works are of a uniform size and depict things such as a group of people using pontoon boats made of steel barrels to escape a flood among Las Vegas architecture that no longer exists and how to conserve water by bathing together.

"I was inspired by survival handbooks, like 'The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook,' and I used the visual language of them," Vitug said. "I combined the new visuals with old ones, from early Asian painting, which was more about the documentation of people and how they lived in their ordinary life."

This is Vitug's first painting show in the valley, although he has previously worked on public projects, such as the Zap! project, in which artists paint utility boxes and create installations, including one in July at The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. All of the work in the show at the Winchester was created after that.

"I worked full time, painting 12 hours a day. I really wanted to do oil on canvas," Vitug said. "It's a challenge because the paint dries much quicker here."

Vitug began painting in the Philippines before immigrating to the United States. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute. When the financial crisis hit in 2007, he came to Las Vegas.

"It's cheaper to live here than in San Francisco or Los Angeles," Vitug said. "Here, I have more space for a studio than I would there."

Although the work is inspired by printed images, they are best experienced in person. He uses metallic paint, delicate washes and fine-lined drawing that does not reproduce well. Close study of each work offers its own surprises and rewards.

For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov or call 702-455-7340.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.