Parisian-born, Israel-raised photographer Jennifer Abessira majored in Theatre cementing her strong connection to the Arts. Her early experiences with an analogue camera was at her friend’s rooftop garage, which led to experimenting and documenting her life in a photojournalistic style. At the age of 14, a passion to cinema aroused in her the drive to express herself with the camera. With albums entitled 'Stardust Memories', 'Back Thoughts' or 'Franny & Zooey', you get the impression that Abessira's photos are somewhat naive or innocent. Her first feature work will appear this winter in the Israeli Magazine for New Art 'The New and the Bad'.
Where are you from/based?
I was born in Paris and later moved to Tel-Aviv when I was eight years old.
What's your background as a photographer?
It's been a life-long practice, I remember always been fascinated by the camera and by the ability to recreate a reality...
Do you have any current projects? If so, what are they about?
I'm currently trying a new approach in thematic order, oriented by object narrative. I would like each series of pictures to express a certain mood that I had while shooting, for example, shooting different objects and unifying them in a mood by changing their contexts.
What do you try to achieve with your photos?
I'm trying to surprise myself by recreating new things with my environment, In a goal to connect better with my intuition. It's also the best way that i found, so far, to satisfy my immediate needs...
They often tend to be quite emotive, do you feel there is anything that links them all together?
There is something that links them all together but i don't believe it is those tendencies, it's in the eye of the beholder but for me they are expressions of my life.
What equipment/film do you use? What do you like about the equipment/film you use?
I shoot with a mobile and simple digital camera which enables me to take it everywhere and allows for quick and intuitive use.
How do you choose your locations?
I choose my locations based on the possibilities they offer me to find new expression.
Are you inspired by any particular films? Art? Literature?
The answer for that one is a long one! I'm a movie buffer since i was 12, Cinema is an irremovable part of my life. My particular inspirations are Eric Rohmer, Jean-Luc Goddard, Vincent Gallo, Woody Allen, Serge Gainsbourg, Django Reinhardt, baroque music, Jazz, the Bauhaus movement, etc...
What about other photographers?
I admire Stephen Shore, Saul Leiter, Brassai, Lina Scheynius and more...
What's next?
Exposure!
