Photo of Mabel Odessey by Gary Waters
Tarn Region
(Southwest France)
http://mabelodessey.com
“I have been working solely with pinhole for about 20 years now, yet I continue to find new ways to use it, to step outside the box (excuse the pun) and use the limitations in a creative way.
I first started photographing musicians as a job for an album cover in 2002. During the session I asked the musicians to play while I thought about what I would do. I uncovered my pinhole in preparation, and then I got carried away with the music and found myself responding with light (the studio flash) to the sounds, after a number of flashes I covered up the pinhole and did several more images in the same way.
When I processed the film, I realised that by using multiple studio flashes I could build up the images almost as a duet with the music being played.
The long exposure time of the pinhole camera meant I could successively layer the textures of the music so that the images were “equivalents” (Alfred Steiglitz) of the sounds or portraits of the music itself. After working with musicians from diverse backgrounds I met jazz pianist Stéphane Sassi who was keen to participate in the work and brought to it his unique discovery of the “piano paille”(paille means straw in french). “Piano Paille” is a form of prepared piano where straws are installed inside the piano.
The project Piano Paille Pinhole was born. Over a period of a few years we met up regularly to improvise between music and photography. Because I was not behind the camera while making the photographs there was no separation between photographer and subject; Sassi and I would interact fluidly, tease and surprise each other. Occasionally I stop the musician in order to create sharp moments in the images this too had an impact on the music, imposing silences and changing the course of its progression. Like in musical improvisation nothing was predetermined, we worked spontaneously, inventing the rules of the game as we went each time trying new techniques to see where they would lead.
I began to explore the possibilities of colour pinhole which in the past I had found too literal. Used in this context the colours created abstract marks on the film echoing the strange and luminous sounds of the music.
The delay between taking the pictures and seeing the results also meant we had a chance to step back and use the pictures for a starting point for another photo-music session. Time is an essential element in music like photography and the fact that photographs are made over the period of a musical composition gives them depth and resonance that I believe an instant snap could not.”
CK → I like the idea of two artists working together to create something new and unique. All my life I have been a music lover, so when I ran across Mabel’s work, I was intrigued with what she was doing with her pinhole photography. The thought of two artists creating art at same time, both in tune with artistic rhythm of creation. inspires me. Thanks to Stéphane Sassi (Pianist) and Mabel Odessey for sharing your art here and I wish you all the best in your future performances.
Title: pppvernissage
Pinhole image
Title: West
Pinhole image
Title: Planet
Pinhole image
Title: Monsoon
Pinhole image
Title: Age Du Serpent
Pinhole image
Mabel Odessey at the Arthur Batut Museum here in France during a performance of piano paille pinhole. A performance art collaboration by Mabel Odessey and Stéphane Sassi.
The CD and 12 page booklet are availabl at: http://pianopaillepinhole.creezvotreboutique.com
All photos © 2009 Mabel Odessey and Reproduced by Permission
by CK
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