Drawing with light and shadow

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The pinscreen is a unique and enigmatic device. Conceived almost a 100 years ago by animators Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker, the instrument is very complicated to construct and requires a wide set of skills to use. The device consists of a screen fitted with thousands of pins that can be pushed in and pulled out. When lit from the side at a precise angle the pins cast shadows which, depending on the degree of retraction, gives the artist a wide range of tones to play with. The artist draws with light and shadow by subtly manipulating thousands of pins.

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The pinscreen was considered a dinosaur of animation. It is a challenge to master and very time consuming. There were only 2 working pinscreens on the planet when French artist Alexandre Noyer decided to reinvent the device in 2015. He has built 8 since then, and slowly new animated films on Noyer pinscreens are coming to light.

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Working on the pinscreen is like playing a delicate instrument which, at the slightest vibration will make a noise. It is sensual to the touch, and can be a bit temperamental. Some days the images just flow, while on others, one would spend an entire day and only take 5 or 6 shots. That is a quarter of a second in film terms.

To work with a pinscreen you must be able to draw with anything – from kitchen spatulas to glass tubes - with both hands, and on both the positive and the negative side of an image. It is not a device for drawing cartoons, but one for drawing poetry.

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Diek Grobler                                                                                        Read More >>