Alternative Landscapes: Judith Monroe, Connie Saint, and Laura Faye Mah

Opening November 10 at Viewpoint, Alternative Landscapes features the work of three Viewpoint members who use non-traditional cameras and photographic processes to explore the realms of memory, magic, and spirituality in the landscape. The exhibit will continue through December 16, with a Second Saturday reception on November 11.

Connie Saint uses a plastic Holga camera, a vintage Polaroid Land camera, Polaroid film, and digital printing to create landscape images that explore the aesthetic and temporal aspects of her subjects rather than objective appearances. The negative edges and sepia toning reinforce the sense of the photograph as “a portal to the past.” “The primitive techniques I use,” she says, “encourage my vision and lead the viewer to consider the natural architecture of the overall composition rather than the minute details, to look at the fundamental forms that nature hides within its obvious beauty.” Connie moved to Davis last year from New York, where for 12 years she worked as an agent and producer for commercial photographers.

Laura Faye Mah’s images begin as black-and-white prints, often from negatives made with her Widelux panoramic camera — “my favorite,” she says; “the lens of the camera rotates and skews reality.” She then uses photographic oils and pencils to hand-tint the photographs. The next step is digitally “intensifying and saturating the colors;” the final prints are then made digitally on color photographic paper. After a high-tech career in the Bay Area, Laura moved to Sutter Creek, and the landscape and buildings of the Gold Country became one of her primary subjects. “I take pleasure in photographing locations with a sense of place,” she states. She has also photographed extensively at Monet’s home and garden in Giverny, France, “walking in the footsteps of the Impressionist painters.” For more about Laura and her photography, visit her website, www.handtint.com.

Judith Monroe’s photographs embody an intense, regenerative relationship with nature. “I see the whole landscape as emotionally and spiritually charged, full of memories to be captured and distilled, cherished and treasured and revisited.” She begins her image-making process by using vintage cameras “to find and frame the essence of the landscape.” From Polaroid black-and-white negatives (which she generally mistreats to add a bit of roughness), she prints limited editions in a traditional darkroom, often using overlays to incorporate words and create secondary images. She finally colors the prints with various media. Throughout the whole process, control is limited. “The environment and the materials affect the final work nearly as much as I do,” she says. “This reflects my life — so much that happens is out of my control and it is up to me to make the most of it.” For more about Judith’s work, visit www.judithmonroe.com.