NOTAGES
Chopin, Étude op.10 #5 “black keys” r.h., m. 1-16, 2015. Paper and acrylic on wood. 20 x 20 cm.
Chopin, Étude op.10 #5 “black keys” r.h., m. 1-16, 2015 (detail).
Les Haricots, m.4-12, 2016. Paper and cardboard on wood. 20 x 40 cm.
Les Haricots, m.4-12, 2016 (detail).
Lemoine, Études op.37 nº1&2, 2016. Acrylic, varnish and board on wood. 50 x 70 cm.
Lemoine, Études op.37 nº1&2, 2016 (detail).
Hanon, le pianiste virtuose exercice nº4, 2017 Acrylic on board on wood. 30 x 30 cm.
Installation view: La Mesure du Temps at H Gallery, Paris, 2017
The Notages series began when I was invited to participate in an exhibition on monochrome. The notages are an « operation to record airs on music boxes,» hence the idea of drilling holes in my works. I first used a study by Chopin (op.10, no. 5) in which the right hand plays only on black keys. I continued this series with my works, playfully nicknamed «beans,» for the exhibition Réalités Nouvelles, where I regularly participate, using repetitive piano exercises that I describe as slightly boring, such as those by Lemoine or Hanon. The physical effort to drill the holes in the various materials, the variations in the depth of the holes themselves, the precision, the unacceptable slightest mistake, the patience, and the discipline used in this series mirror the experience of a professional pianist.