Photography > PHOTOGRAPHY
Pinhole Photography Gallery: Mary Carr-Chaisson
Mary Carr-Chaisson is a visual artist/pinhole photographer in the Charlottetown area. She as been creating photographs since the early 90's, where she learned the technique as a fine arts student at Mount Allison University.
Pinhole cameras can be constructed out of materials such as cans, boxes, etc. The camera body must be made light-tight by lining the interior with black construction paper, and taping the sides with black electric tape to prevent light from leaking in. A small piece of pie plate or thin brass can be used to make the camera lens. The aperature is made by drilling a tiny pin-hole into the brass or pie plate. The is then attached to the body of the camera. A material such as cardboard or cork can serve as the camera shutter. The last few years Mary has been experimenting with a digital camera converted into a pinhole camera.
Recently Mary has been doing mixed media pieces, merging pinhole photography with encaustic painting. The encaustic process, when used in photography, refers to applying hot beeswax over a photographic image. This wax can be pigmented with color or remain white or creamy beige, and it can give the image an intriguing surface and density. A photoencaustic art piece is a 'sandwich' of a wooden base, a white base of paper or gesso attached to the wood, a photographic image and many layers of wax or encaustic medium.
Mary likes experimenting with the abstraction, distortion, uniqueness, and magnification that can be obtained with pinhole photography, as well as the unpredictability of the technique. The combination of pinhole imagery and the encaustic painting technique, adds to the feeling of nostalgia and creates translucency and dimension. Reflections, movement, and texture of the subjects, as well as the feelings they evoke are present in her work.
You can purchase work by this Artisan at Eptek Centre, The Dunes, Artisans on Main Montague, The PEI Centre for Craft, or by contacting the artist directly.
Website www.pinholephotogallery.com
Email: marycc@eastlink.ca
Address: 25 Woodlawn Dr, Charlottetown, PE C1A 6K8
Phone: 902-628-1575
