Beyond Grand Canyon
How can a rainbow be ten times more colorful? How can a sunset be ten times more brilliant? How can a canyon be ten times grander? When seen through the eyes of an artist.
An Arizona resident since the early 1970’s, Michael Fatali spent his childhood years camping and hiking with his family, exploring the scenic and plentiful backcountry that the American Southwest is so famous for. It was the solitude and splendor of Arizona’s deserts, canyons and forests that buoyed Fatali through a devastating loss: in his mid-teens, his mother died of cancer. But while such a life-altering event causes many people to turn inward, Fatali turned both inward and outward, connecting with his true self as he connected with nature. It was during these times of quiet introspection that Fatali discovered his true calling.
Fatali’s first gallery was located in Page, Arizona, the perfect place in which to study the weird little gashes in the Earth known as slot canyons that dotted the surrounding landscape. One canyon in particular, known then to the locals as “The Crack,” had an ethereal quality that was enhanced during the mid-day hours when the sun shone down through an opening in its roof, casting sunbeams through the swirling sandstone all the way to the canyon’s floor. Capturing this phenomenon using a large plate camera and shunning artificial enhancements, Fatali helped bring Antelope Canyon to international fame. Today, it is visited by thousands of people from all over the world. His photographs have also aroused world-wide curiosity in other scenic treasures of the Southwest such as “the Wave” of the Paria Wilderness, and the Narrows of Zion National Park. Yet others remain a secret and probably will remain so to protect the fragile environments around them.
Through the lenses of this acclaimed Southwestern photographer, the grandest of Nature’s creations take on entire new dimensions of color, light and form. Today, Fatali’s works can be seen at his gallery in Springdale, Utah. A collection of his most striking images set to the music of award-winning flautist Nicholas Gunn can be purchased right here on this page. For more information visit www.fatali.com
