Meet Alison Molnar of Alison Molnar Photography in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Molnar.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Alison. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I have always been interested in photographs. I love looking and observing what is around me and I think that goes hand in hand with photography. I started taking pictures in high school as an elective. When I started college, I really struggled with declaring my major and in my second year decided to change it to art and pursue photography. I always have been interested in photography, but I think college is when I really fell in love with the entire process. Art school was so special because it really opened my eyes to all the possibilities and being surrounded by such brilliant people provided inspiration. Everyone was so supportive and cared about each other’s progress.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road as I sometimes question my ideas for upcoming projects. I think because I am a recent college graduate I’ve been struggling with starting a career. Right now, I have been taking it slow. I’m waitressing to earn money to pay for photography equipment and framing my images. I have started entering shows to promote my artwork and for the exposure. I really started to get into a groove in college with all the resources the University had and being part of a community of photographers. It’s been a huge challenge not having that every day, as I really crave having peers that can critique my work and collaborate on new ideas. My goals is to explore the Phoenix Art scene and to become part of that community.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Alison Molnar Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
The work I have produced thus far as an artist deals with the everyday experiences and the idea of “pleasant suburbia”. In one of my past series, Watered Lawns, I created still lifes that were simple in form, but the subtle nuances reveal a narrative of the fraught situations going on behind the façade of suburban perfection. There’s a slight edge of creepiness, do to the plastic like quality, which points to consumer culture as the means to achieving the American Dream.

I have always been interested in the seemingly mundane. Religious iconography and retro styles really get my gears going, and I often look for that or try to recreate those styles in my images. While I do take a lot of portraits of my friends and family and their surroundings, I spend most of my time shooting when I am exploring neighborhoods and new and familiar environments. Finding a scene or subject that interests or moves me to create visual poetry. I love finding garish colors and playing with flash. In my latest ongoing project, I use flash in midday, which creates a flattening of space, and hyper detail.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In the next 5-10 years, I hope to have representation from a gallery. I want to have projects completed as well as ongoing works. I’d love to eventually be able to print my work on my own and have the space and equipment to do so. I think a graduate school could potentially be in my future and provide me with further knowledge. With the rapid advancement of technology and distribution methods, I feel that the industry will remain competitive but also provide opportunities.

Pricing:

• $400+ for framed pieces, depending on size
• $100+ for prints, depending on size
• $100hr/for photoshoots

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alisonmolnar.com/
• Phone: 480-570-5213
• Email: alisonmolnarphotography@gmail.com
• Instagram: alisonmolnarphoto

Image Credit:
Alison Molnar

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