Rotating Exhibits

Pinky Bass: The Magic of the Camera

September 17 - November 15

Reception - Thursday, October 8, 5 - 7 PM

In this exhibition, visitors can explore Pinky Bass's collection of cameras and creations and discover the camera not only as a tool for making photographs, but as an art object in its own right. While Pinky often begins with a particular intention, the camera itself plays a role in shaping the outcome, resulting in whimsical, experimental, and unexpected bodies of work.

Pinky's approach to photography is inventive and exploratory. She experiments with different materials, processes, and formats and is recognized for her innovative use of a wide range of pinhole cameras to challenge conventional ways of seeing and making photographs.

Inspired by Pinky's Portable Pop-Up Pinhole Camera and Darkroom, we have created a giant camera obscura where visitors can step inside, explore, and experience firsthand how light creates an image. This interactive installation offers a playful introduction to the physics of light and the basic principles shared by all cameras, inviting visitors to see photography in a whole new way—with the same sense of curiosity, experimentation, and wonder that inspires Pinky's work.

Pinky's Artist Statement

That first time in the darkroom, when an image emerged from the intention of my vision — gelatin silver layered on paper through the use of trays of chemicals — my sense of awe and wonder was captured. This was the beginning of my “journey” (MFA thesis: Steal the Elixir and Run, lifted from Joseph Campbell's writing about the hero's journey). The magic elixir of the anatomy of vision, the physics of light, the chemistry of photography, and my ability to use these elements gave me my voice. The “camera obscura” became my “darkroom” for discovering, playing, creating, making mistakes, envisioning, and literally touching that elixir.

Artist Biography

Pinky/MM Bass grew up in Fairhope during WWII at the home of her grandmother, Lois Slosson Sundberg. At age 52, she earned her MFA in photography from Georgia State University and returned to live in Fairhope. She has received grants from the Regional Artist Project (RAP), the Southern Arts Federation/National Endowment for the Arts (SAF/NEA), and the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA). Her work is found in many museums, including Birmingham, Huntsville, the High in Atlanta, and the Mint in Charlotte, NC, as well as in numerous private collections. She has exhibited internationally, including over 30 solo shows. She was featured on APT in 2019 in the Monograph series. Publications include Polaroid Book, Pinhole Journal, Alternative Photographic Processes, and Aperture.

In 2024, Bass received the Alabama State Impact Award, in part for her education program, Pinky's Portable Pop-up Pinhole Camera and Darkroom. She lives at Homestead Village and is a Fairhope Fanatic!

Pinkymmbass.com