Materials:  MDO, Vintage Admiral TV, Mixed Media, Photo Transfer

Framed Dimensions:  45" x 62" x 4"

2022

Joseph Kent, the Director of Curaration and Exhibition at Smithsonian Affiliate The Atomic Museum where "Doomtown" currently resides on loan, called it "a one-of-a-kind mixed media masterpiece." The Atomic Museum is located in Las Vegas, Nevada where Doomtown is available for purchase. 

In 1955, a prefabricated "ghost town" called Doomtown was constructed at the Nevada Nuclear Test Site, about 65 miles north of Las Vegas. It was built to study how buildings and other structures would hold up against the force of an atomic bomb explosion.

Las Vegas quickly took advantage of the nearby tests, hosting viewing parties, serving themed cocktails, and even holding a "Miss Atomic Bomb" beauty contest. The atomic bomb craze became a popular attraction, drawing in tourists eager to get as close as possible to the explosions. This "atomic tourism" created thousands of jobs and added $176 million to the local economy.

Mushroom clouds from the tests became both a spectacle and a symbol of the era. These early dawn atmospheric tests could be seen up to 100 miles away in the distance.