Page 22 - the NOISE September 2013

22 • september 2013 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us
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Going Out for Fast Food by Michelle Wolfe Moen is among the artist’s new series at the Artists’ Coalition of Flagstaff Gallery this September.
I ask Mr. Rogers how he first became inter- ested in art. “I’d done some work with ceram- ics,” he says. “I enjoy creating whatever my imagination conjures up from a big lump of clay. I must give Don Bendel, my ceramics teacher, credit for encouraging me to pursue my artistic directions. Though I enjoyed the other mediums I worked in, creating things from metal is what I’ve concentrated my ef- forts on. I have access to lots of old metal parts that are just begging to be turned into something else.”
“I love to see people enjoying my work,” Mr. Rogers says of the driving force behind his art. “Most of the work I’ve done is interac- tive. If I can make those who see my work smile, or laugh, I feel I’ve done what I set out to do. The world needs more happiness, and I’m doing my best to contribute to that cause. I get a sense of satisfaction to finish a piece that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, with a secondary function thrown in as a bonus. Last, but not least, is the fact I enjoy doing something my mom would be proud of. She was very pleased when I began to follow my artistic instincts.”
I ask how he begins the process for creat- ing one of these elaborate pieces. “I might have some general idea of what I want to make. Mostly, though, it is looking at a pile of resources and pondering what I might do with the stuff I’m looking at. If I come up with something I like, and it makes folks smile to see it, I’ll try to find more of those particular types of materials and create other works along the same lines.
“The materials I’ve been using most lately are rusty parts from old machinery and ve- hicles. I’m working on a kaleidoscope right now that includes mirrors and lenses from a discarded big screen TV, the tube from a
drive shaft, a rusty old car jack, wood from the renovation project at Red Lobster, a glass door knob, synchronizer rings from a manual transmission, a brass lever, a rusty barn pulley, slices of agate, shards of broken colored glass, and a few other miscellaneous parts.”
“I’ve been given the honor to be part of a team that is working on a project for the City of Flagstaff and lowell Observatory,” Mr. Rogers shares. “The team includes Tom Williams of The Gallery in Williams and Mike Frankel, Executive Director for the Artists’ Co- alition of Flagstaff. Each of us are past Best of Show winners at the Recycled Art Exhibi- tion. We are combining our talents to create a large artwork for placement on the Lowell Observatory campus. We’re making it with the thought in mind that 100 years from now, we want visitors to Lowell to still be enjoying it. Beyond that, you will have to come to the unveiling in September to know more about it.”
“At the Gallery in Williams I’ll be showing four kaleidoscopes from what I call, ‘The Jack Series.’ They are similar in that each of them uses a very rusty old car jack as the pedestal,” he says. “Each has its own unique quality, though. As a contrast to the Jack Series, De- colicious will be there. It’s one of my favorites. It includes no rust. However, supports made from old wooden water skis, lots of agate and brass, and a few other shiny materials make this one stand out in the crowd. It has three eyepieces and three different mirror systems. That was a last minute addition I did on a whim.”
The kaleidoscopes of John Rogers will be featured at the Gallery in Williams, 309 Route 66 in Williams, for the Second Saturday ArtWalk. The Williams ArtWalk provides a free shuttle to all the art venues participating.
TheGalleryInWilliams.com