Page 16 - the NOISE June 2012

16 • JULY 2012 • the NOISE arts & news magazine • thenoise.us
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An example of Monica Saaty’s photography at the ACF Gallery this First Friday ArtWalk.
pens, markers and taught drawing to the sixth, seventh and eighth graders. The lack of Spanish on my part was no issue – art is a universal language. I taught them how to draw figures, and they shared the techniques with parents and grandparents.”
“Since moving to Tubac my colors have become brighter, and I’ve also been work- ing with acrylics,” Ms. Rogers tells me of her experience in her new place. “My love of his- toric architecture and automobiles is really a metaphor for people. For instance, my love of historic Flagstaff architecture is a meta- phor for the fabulous pioneer families who worked hard to make Flagstaff what it is to- day. There are still older homes and buildings which I want to paint! Painting was never a hobby, it is my profession, my passion. Land- scapes are also a favorite subject. Every won- derful part of Arizona is job opportunity for a painter!”
I ask Ms. Rogers about some recent and favorite pieces. “One of the new pieces is of a Grand Canyon River Trip – it brought back many happy memories. The “Sunset Porch,” was highly praised by a wonderful mentor, Santa Fe artist Fran Larsen who said, ‘You’ve said enough.’ She has encouraged me for the past 12 years at the Intensive Studies Semi- nar in Taos. These are two new directions which I’ll be exploring in the coming year.”
“When Flag gets a little chilly, you’re all in- vited to come down to visit my gallery and you can play golf, visit Tumacacori Mission, go to Nogales, Sonora and generally have fun!” Ms. Rogers says.
Art in the Park will be held in downtown Flagstaff at Wheeler Park July 6, 7, from 9AM to 6PM and July 8 from 9AM to 4PM. In ad- dition to quality arts and crafts there will be live music all weekend, food, and a children’s playhouse and petting zoo. There are a vari- ety of arts and crafts from local artists Joah Thiele, Katherine Farr, Ryanne Sebern and many others from Flagstaff and across the nation. FlagstaffArtinthePark.com
THE PICTURE WITHIN THE PICTURE
A hand holds up a Polaroid of a field of yellow flowers, and behind that photograph, slightly out of focus, is a field of yellow flow- ers stretching out into the distance.
“Something that appears uninviting to most, like an alley covered with graffiti or an abandoned shack, can be full of photo-
graphic treasures for me,” Artists’ Coalition
of Flagstaff member Monica Saaty tells me. “My favorite thing about photography is that
it encourages me to look beyond what oth- ers define as beautiful, and has taught me to see beauty in everything. It’s my life that is truly beautiful; my camera simply allows me to share it with the world.”
“It’s hard to identify exactly what inspires me,” she continues. “I know I feel inspired on a daily basis. I find myself being distracted ev- erywhere I go. The minute I leave my house, I begin to observe the lighting, weather, and the scene before me. I find myself taking two steps back to frame things in my mind, or circling the block when I see something of interest. People, places, and things, even the smallest of them, can inspire an entire series of images.”
I ask her when she began taking photo- graphs, “I’ve been playing with cameras since I was a little girl,” Ms. Saaty says. “I used to steal my mom’s camera and use entire rolls of film to photograph my Barbies and stuffed animals. My mom wasn’t thrilled then, but looking back on it now, it explains where my life-long obsession began. I’ve owned vari- ous cameras since I was a child, mostly auto- matic film and instant models, but it wasn’t until high school that I really started explor- ing the endless amount of photographic pos- sibilities. I received my first Canon DSLR as a gift, and since then, my camera hasn’t left my side. When I began to learn about photogra- phy, it was with my mom’s old Minolta SLR. I quickly learned the basics: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO; and how these three things control the outcome of your photograph.
“When I received my first DSLR, I was able to experiment with all different styles of photography, without the cost of film. Digi- tal photography gave me the chance to develop my personal style through years of trial and error, both with shooting and post- production. I would say that my style is ever changing, as I still enjoy trying new things. Portraiture is the newest genre of photog- raphy I have been pursuing. I am able to apply creative techniques I use in product and landscape photography to my people pictures, and make these images reflect the personality of my clients.”
Ms. Saaty does not try to categorize her work, and instead allows creative energy to take her in many new and exciting directions.