Piano (de)composition
on Bolex 16mm
a film by Amy Sabpisal
July 20, 2023
July 20, 2023
"When I first saw an article about the Piano (de)composition project, I knew immediately that I had to go visit. It was such a beautiful and interesting experience. The keys each had a personality of their own. Some would sink and refuse to spring back up. Some refused to be pressed down at all. Some required extra force. By filming with a Bolex 16mm camera, we also had to accept that we had little control over the results. Yet, they were beautiful. Perhaps that is the charm of the Piano (de)composition project.
It's difficult to pinpoint a main theme in the film, but one critique stood out to me. A classmate said that the film felt melancholic, like happiness was something of the past. It is not untrue. We are unable to stop the flow of time and decay. Because of that, perhaps we grieve a loss. The piano that sits outside of the Orwig Music Library is also proof of decay. It reminds us that it came from nature, brought new life, then back to nature it shall return. Yet, to me the project is full of wonder and curiosity rather than melancholy. Rather than grieving the loss of an instrument, we are celebrating the birth of a new instrument that changes with the passing of time and the space that encapsulates it. I think that is what the film represents to me.
Thank you to my team for making this possible. Dway Lunkad and Aidan Chen were terrific at directing the camera, and recording the sound whenever possible. Yuran Zhu's light metering were perfect, always making sure our shots had perfect lighting."
~Amy Pichayapha Sabpisal (RISD '24)
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About the artist: Amy is an illustrator and a musician moving between Thailand and the USA. She is currently studying Film Animation and Video at the Rhode Island School of Design. One day she will finally finish her own pretty website, publish a book, make a little plushie, and put out songs online. In her free time she likes to compose music and is always down for a good jam. She also loves to cook and bake and pet cute dogs.
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Days in place: 154
Weather: partly sunny, humid, 84°F