Maria Vassett came to my attention a little more than 10 years ago. As a journalist just getting started, I was always seeking out quality local music while silently praying no one asked for an ID. If it was a show worth seeing or a band worth hearing Maria would be there. She was always in the know and she was always with the band but not in any creepy groupie way.
The carefully selected furniture and décor offers more than scope for the imagination, they contain rich history that echoes Maria’s first love. Music.
The curved booth, a vestige from Nita’s Hideaway, sits against a wall. The jackalope, belonging once to her dear friend and former employer Brad Singer, harkens back to Maria’s time with Zia Records and Epiphany! Recordings, the original recording label from which Maria took the name (and the sign). The retro chairs that look straight out of an old Brunswick bowling alley are straight out of an old Brunswick bowling alley. Epiphany! has it all… style, history, authenticity, Maria Vassett and a little kitsch for character. Don’t be jealous, she rents the space for extremely reasonable rates for all the photographers and videographers drooling at this very moment.
Maria might claim luck helped determine the course of her life. I, as an expert on the subject, could perceive that far more than luck went into shaping the life of the woman sitting across from me during our recent interview.
To be Maria one must first have a slick sense style… not necessarily as it applies to shoes and matching handbags or some similar nonsense. No, she possesses an alternate sixth sense that lies somewhere between the eye and intuition. She can turn her magic sights on you and immediately see the potential in you to connect to others be it through your work, your art, or even your image.
Most of her work thus far has been in concert photography, freelancing for the Phoenix New Times and the Arizona Republic. Perhaps not such a leap from her earlier profession. With the acquisition of studio space, Vassett has been expanding her portfolio beyond rocknroll journalism to include portraiture, action photography with the Renegade Roller Girls, art photography, even a little porn for super hot Pool Boy Magazine to round it all out.
Her photography space inspires from the entrance to the bathroom. It is little wonder the photographs coming from the new space continually evolve. With enough space to make any artist jealous, the expansive Epiphany! Studios boasts an array of luxuries like gallery space, office space, a sizeable dressing room, equipment storage space, even a kitchenette.
That’s even not the best part. Upon entering the shooting space one confronts an infinity wall. White, seemingly endless due to the curvature of the walls, and momentarily terrifying, like a physical manifestation of an existential crisis… but it makes for a photographer’s dream. No pesky shadows or tacky backdrops required. Pure white space.
Some might falsely ascribe this skill to an awareness of cultural or marketing trends but to do so would be to trivialize Maria’s remarkable talent. Hers is a psychological sensitivity to her contemporaries. In other words, she can sense what others want or are going to want. Her work in the music industry as well as her photography could find no better partnering of skills.
Her unique photographic style emerges directly from this connectedness. She might encounter a random stranger smoking a cigarette in an alley and claim him as her next model where another artist would have likely glazed over an everyday scene. She can unearth your inner vixen for a private boudoir shoot. She can get the perfect picture of Janet Jackson, Dave Grohl, Elton John, Usher or any other no matter where she is forced to stand for the performance. There is always a slight hue of sexuality on each photo that captivates viewers and a distinct, intuitive sense of each subject.
This year promises all sorts of exciting things for Maria Vassett Photography. Currently, she is working on an album with the sinfully beautiful Jayy Von Monroe of Blood on the Dance Floor and the unexpectedly devastating Topher Bray. I’ll also be watching for the next issue of Pool Boy Magazine featuring her work. Check out the links above and join the watch for new photographs released by this prolific and talented artist.
The stunning Jayy Von Monroe
Topher Bray on the Nita's Hideaway booth replaces my innocent, youthful memories with a little something other than nostalgia.
Dave Grohl, in case you didn't know.
The inifinity wall, remarkable for photographs... terrifying in reality.
Maria commemorates Mill Ave... heart, home, and history for many.
Tonight, however, we’re not meeting at a bar to discuss a band. After 15 years in music Maria decided to step back and explore other avenues of interest. So now I’m heading to Epiphany! Studios in Tempe, the central hub for Maria Vassett, photographer.
