by Roxanne Phillips, MFA
Printmaker and Master Printer, Pele Prints
Roxanne: What do you find most challenging/rewarding about the creative process?
Mark Appling Fisher: Every time I head out with my cameras for a day of wandering, the biggest challenge is - where does the story begin today? I sometimes have a destination in mind as I head out, but that is only a very general guideline. Like the magpie, I am easily distracted by a shiny glint at the edge of the road. For the past four years or so I have spent a lot of my time photographing in small rural Missouri towns, seeing how they are surviving - or struggling - to maintain their existence, their role - if any - in the national scene. There are 114 counties in Missouri, I have visited 74 of them, have photographed in more than 250 small towns, villages, and wide spots in the road. The stories are there, the challenge each time I head out is where to go in my search. The rewards I find in such communities are always worth the challenge in locating them.
R: What is it about your preferred medium that you enjoy the most?
M: What delights me more than any other aspect of photography is the “Zen” of it, although I’m not certain that is the correct term. There are those moments when I put my camera to my eye, all distractions drop away, recede to the background, evaporate. It’s just me, and the scene wrapped in four edges, a millisecond of recognition, reaction, “punctum” as [Roland] Barthes describes. In that instant I know I’ve created something, whether others recognize it, react to it, miss it entirely, love it or hate it. Such moments are rare, but when they occur, there is excitement and wonder.
It’s my moment of Zen.
R: What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring photographer to doing it?
M: In 1972 I received my degree in music education, taught for 14 years before deciding I needed a change. I had bought my first camera in 1974 (a Ricoh 35mm rangefinder, which I still have) and photography jumped to the front of the line for my attentions. In 1982 I got my master’s degree in black and white photography, switched to a different job with the school district, and spent the remainder of my years in education as an Instructional Media Technologist, taking photographs, making videos, and doing web sites. After my first retirement in 2003 I was lucky to spend about 10 years teaching black and white film photography part-time at St. Charles Community College, then retired again around 2013 or so. From that point on it’s been fine art photography full time.
R: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
M: Me (circa 1957): “Mom! I’m bored!”
Mom: “It’s a nice day, take a book, go outside, and read under a tree”.
From that point on, I learned to find things that engaged me, excited me, kept me learning and exploring. Mom would take the time to lay on her stomach in the lawn and watch with me as a butterfly opened its wings for the first time. She taught me about “weeds” not being weeds, but beautiful, useful plants. She taught me most of the things I ever needed to get along in the world. She loved art, literature, music, family, loved teaching, was pleased when I went in to teaching. But, the best advice she ever gave me that day in Circa 1957 has kept my mind active and engaged ever since. You’re only bored if you allow yourself to be.
By the way, they still make books, in case you’re bored. Even in a pandemic, you should be able to find the solitude of a tree, a nice day, and a book.
R: What motivates you to continue taking art?
M: I’m driven every day to continue with photography because of the fabulous wealth. It’s so gratifying when the Brinks truck backs up to the house and unloads a pile of dough.
The satisfaction of that “Zen” moment I discussed earlier is the true driving motivation, of finding a way to show a part of my day, my life, my experiences, my environment, my world, a story to be told in a new way, or an old way that’s been lost for a bit. With any luck at all, someone might see what I’ve done and derive some pleasure from it, or a bit of insight about themselves, or me, or the image bound by four edges, even if it’s only a fleeting moment.
But mostly it’s about the fabulous wealth.
____________________________
Mark Appling Fisher is an award-winning artist, author, curator, and music and art educator. His works have been exhibited throughout the U.S. in solo and group shows. Solo exhibitions include Schmidt Art Center, Jacoby Arts Center, University City Public Library, and The Sheldon Art Galleries as well as group exhibits at Art Saint Louis, OA Gallery, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, Foundry Art Centre, Framations Gallery, St. Charles Community College, and more. In 2014, Mark self-published Turn Left at the Blinking Light, his first book of photographs. In 2015, Fisher was interviewed for PBS/Nine Network’s Living St. Louis program. Mark curated "Holga Polka," an exhibit featuring works by over 45 regional artists presented at the Gallery at St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (2009).
____________________________
Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. She has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer and since 2018 as Master Printer for Pele Prints. She also works as adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
Printmaker and Master Printer, Pele Prints
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| Mark Appling Fisher. Vote. 2019. Digital Black and White Photograph, 20"x30". $500. |
Mark Appling Fisher: Every time I head out with my cameras for a day of wandering, the biggest challenge is - where does the story begin today? I sometimes have a destination in mind as I head out, but that is only a very general guideline. Like the magpie, I am easily distracted by a shiny glint at the edge of the road. For the past four years or so I have spent a lot of my time photographing in small rural Missouri towns, seeing how they are surviving - or struggling - to maintain their existence, their role - if any - in the national scene. There are 114 counties in Missouri, I have visited 74 of them, have photographed in more than 250 small towns, villages, and wide spots in the road. The stories are there, the challenge each time I head out is where to go in my search. The rewards I find in such communities are always worth the challenge in locating them.
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| I used to have a studio at the Foundry, then I had one in Grand Center, but when they sold that building I decided to use my mobile studio. This one has almost 300,000 miles on it, the last one went to 400,000. This one is currently in quarantine. |
R: What is it about your preferred medium that you enjoy the most?
M: What delights me more than any other aspect of photography is the “Zen” of it, although I’m not certain that is the correct term. There are those moments when I put my camera to my eye, all distractions drop away, recede to the background, evaporate. It’s just me, and the scene wrapped in four edges, a millisecond of recognition, reaction, “punctum” as [Roland] Barthes describes. In that instant I know I’ve created something, whether others recognize it, react to it, miss it entirely, love it or hate it. Such moments are rare, but when they occur, there is excitement and wonder.
It’s my moment of Zen.
 |
| Some of the portraits I have taken of the figurines seen on shelves in the background. And yes, you have found Waldo, hiding behind a monkey-in-a-bag. |
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| The light box/portrait studio. Four versions of Charlie McCarthy take turns in the studio. |
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| The digital side of my workspace/studio, with some of the studio work on the monitors. The Baby-Head-in-a-Box guards the place when I'm not around, with the able assistance of Bastet, Daughter of RA, watching carefully from the shelf. |
R: What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring photographer to doing it?
M: In 1972 I received my degree in music education, taught for 14 years before deciding I needed a change. I had bought my first camera in 1974 (a Ricoh 35mm rangefinder, which I still have) and photography jumped to the front of the line for my attentions. In 1982 I got my master’s degree in black and white photography, switched to a different job with the school district, and spent the remainder of my years in education as an Instructional Media Technologist, taking photographs, making videos, and doing web sites. After my first retirement in 2003 I was lucky to spend about 10 years teaching black and white film photography part-time at St. Charles Community College, then retired again around 2013 or so. From that point on it’s been fine art photography full time.
R: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
M: Me (circa 1957): “Mom! I’m bored!”
Mom: “It’s a nice day, take a book, go outside, and read under a tree”.
From that point on, I learned to find things that engaged me, excited me, kept me learning and exploring. Mom would take the time to lay on her stomach in the lawn and watch with me as a butterfly opened its wings for the first time. She taught me about “weeds” not being weeds, but beautiful, useful plants. She taught me most of the things I ever needed to get along in the world. She loved art, literature, music, family, loved teaching, was pleased when I went in to teaching. But, the best advice she ever gave me that day in Circa 1957 has kept my mind active and engaged ever since. You’re only bored if you allow yourself to be.
By the way, they still make books, in case you’re bored. Even in a pandemic, you should be able to find the solitude of a tree, a nice day, and a book.
 |
| Mark Appling Fisher. Portrait by Tony Schanuel. |
R: What motivates you to continue taking art?
M: I’m driven every day to continue with photography because of the fabulous wealth. It’s so gratifying when the Brinks truck backs up to the house and unloads a pile of dough.
The satisfaction of that “Zen” moment I discussed earlier is the true driving motivation, of finding a way to show a part of my day, my life, my experiences, my environment, my world, a story to be told in a new way, or an old way that’s been lost for a bit. With any luck at all, someone might see what I’ve done and derive some pleasure from it, or a bit of insight about themselves, or me, or the image bound by four edges, even if it’s only a fleeting moment.
But mostly it’s about the fabulous wealth.
____________________________
Mark Appling Fisher is an award-winning artist, author, curator, and music and art educator. His works have been exhibited throughout the U.S. in solo and group shows. Solo exhibitions include Schmidt Art Center, Jacoby Arts Center, University City Public Library, and The Sheldon Art Galleries as well as group exhibits at Art Saint Louis, OA Gallery, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, Foundry Art Centre, Framations Gallery, St. Charles Community College, and more. In 2014, Mark self-published Turn Left at the Blinking Light, his first book of photographs. In 2015, Fisher was interviewed for PBS/Nine Network’s Living St. Louis program. Mark curated "Holga Polka," an exhibit featuring works by over 45 regional artists presented at the Gallery at St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (2009).
____________________________
Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. She has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer and since 2018 as Master Printer for Pele Prints. She also works as adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
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