December 1, 2005

Digitallly manipulated photographs will be showcased throughout December in the Psalm Performing Arts Center gallery at Corban College. Daniel Markoya of Salem is the artist.

“Basically I shoot photographs and create art from the photos, what I call ‘artography,’” Markoya said. “The way my stuff looks has been pretty unique. I haven’t seen anything like it.”

Markoya developed his technique as a way to help support his family. He started shooting photos in 1985, when traveling through Europe with his wife and four of their six children, and found a use for his photographs when he opened an advertising agency in Salem in 1987.

By the mid ‘90s he transitioned into a full time itinerant music ministry, traveling up and down Pacific Coast states with his family. Markoya continued to take photographs of people, places and things and to build his music ministry.

“In 2000, we were in Portland,” Markoya said. “I was in a recording studio, buried in the work of producing my music albums. Being out of sight and out of mind support was thin. I cried out to the Lord for a way to make some extra money, and that night I hit on the digital art technique I use.

“The first day I went out to try and sell some art ended up being 9-11, I felt so ill I put it away for a year,” the artist continued. “A year later I showed some of my work to a lady with a greeting card company and she loved it. She reordered well over 1,000 cards of that little region in southeast Portland, so I realized I had something, that people liked it.”

Markoya regularly returned to the Fort Bragg/Mendocino area of the Northern California coast for music ministry. Photos he took of that area, turned into what he calls “artography,” began to sell briskly.

He continues to balance ministry and his artistry; both continue to do well. See www.danielmarkoya.com for samples of his music and his artistry.

“I have two artistic styles; the animated one looks like ink with water color and you couldn’t possibly tell it’s a photograph,” Markoya said. “It looks good and people seem to really like it.

“I do digital painting techniques,” the artist continued. “I’ve created my own filters and algorithms, to do what I do. Often people refer to my work as paintings, so I always try to make a little disclaimer: I’m an artographer.”

The public is invited to this gallery showing of Markoya’s artistry from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout December in the Psalm Performing Arts Center at Corban College, 5000 Deer Park Drive in southeast Salem.

--By Karen L. Willoughby