Jimi Hendrix - The Mylar Chamber

The first photograph to be examined from the Mylar Chamber is Reflections captured in 1968 the image features American rock Musician Jimi Hendrix who was at the height of his career. Hendrix was a creative who excelled in guitar playing in the late 1960’s where he eventually became a pioneer of the psychedelic rock music scene for listeners over the world, which enhanced the popularity of the psychedelic subculture. Creatives were drawn to the loft space due to the freedom of expression; dozens of musicians, poets and artists were photographed by Cohen inside the Mylar Chamber; although Hendrix was the most influential figure to be captured on camera within the chamber. 

The image is Jimi Hendrix laying on his side, propped up by an emerald pillow. Hendrix’s reflection is projected over the right side of the image, his hands translucently overlapping the residing figures' legs, the light liquefying, travelling around the image. Cohen's depiction of Hendrix is different from the man the world perceived. The figure in the image lay reclining on a daybed, his arms resting on an emerald pillow, his fingers entwined imitating an intimacy between the viewer and the subject.

Hendrix is draped in a vivid red oriental robe hanging off the left shoulder, a purple shirt layered underneath, this contrast in the warm colours functioned alongside one another to create an overall eye-catching experience. A sense of seriousness resides within the face of Jimi Hendrix, contrary to his public image of excitement and an energising stage presence the melancholy appearance emitted from his face gives a true experience into this world-renowned musician’s mind. His eyes gaze into the right-hand side of the frame staring into eternity almost a dreamlike appearance while reflections swirl around his face.His figure off centre resides to the left hand side of the frame in order for his reflection to be mirrored on the opposite side of the frame. 

The photograph was taken of the distorted reflection of Hendrix, rather than focusing on the physical subject, Cohen often used the reflections from the Mylar film projected onto the face and body emitted on the walls and ceilings as the main focus. This photograph was shot in colour, capturing the contracting reflection off the Mylar through the camera in order to minimise the physical manipulation and enhance the natural manipulation of Mylar film. Similar to other photographs produced from the Mylar Chamber, Reflections (1968) is an non-cropped image taken straight in the camera. The psychedelic distortion of the image enhances the overall effect the photograph holds due to the gaze Hendrix emits from his face; it is almost a visual representation of the mind of Jimi Hendrix. A unique perception of euphoric experience is emitted from the piece, Cohen always used his inner psyche to conjure a series themed images relating to his own mind. Figures would often merge with their multiple according to Cohen which he said ‘it merged the body and image with the multi-dimension’. 

The photograph is physically produced on a Cibachrome print, this is a high-quality coloured print that is made from a colour transparency which is enlarged directly onto reversal colour paper (Staff, n.d.). The dyes in the paper work separately to enhance the colours on the surface of the sheet due to the emulsion already incorporated into the paper, this type of print is formed chemically unlike a traditional printed photograph. The colours are over lapped onto the paper through the exposure of transparency to create the layered effect. Cohen used this technique to enhance the effect of the Mylar film, brighter colours and layering effects resulted in a pulsating psychedelic experience for the viewer through the concentrated dreamlike layering of the image. By recording and layering each colour used in the frame of the image the Cibachrome print incorporated with the use of the Mylar film leads to an intense image. 

The Mylar Chamber was a space for hallucinatory exploration, Hendrix visited the chamber due to the experimental qualities used to explore and distort the outcome of the image. The overall experience of the chamber was a large determining factor as to why Hendrix initially visited the loft space. Jimi Hendrix was known for being a pioneer of Psychedelic Rock, in the height of his career he was known to have a vast consumption of hallucinogenic drugs in the 1960’s such as LSD, Psilocybin and heroin. Hallucinogenics largely influenced western culture, LSD has a leading influence on music within western culture, through the sense of patterns and shapes, altering the speed and vibrations of the music, looping and reversing instruments to create a new unique experience. Jimi Hendrix had a major involvement in the psychedelic movement which likely drew him to the Mylar Chamber in order to experiment with further artistic abilities under the distortion and feel of the psychedelia movement.

The Chamber contained a large assortment of strange and unusual props, daybeds, pillows and rugs, hookahs and lampshades were also added to create a scene of comfort for guests to enter be able to relax in a tranquil environment. By creating this content atmosphere, the visitors would be introduced into a comforting space where they were able to dream at their leisure during the shoot, this was also Cohen’s way of controlling the subjects when working with the Mylar film, this resulted in remarkable photographs as the subjects would be relaxed and comfortable. This has been shown within Reflections (1968) where you can see Jimi Hendrix laying restfully surrounded by a multitude of comfortable props. 

The images produced from the Mylar Chamber between 1968- 1971 show a direct connection to the artists mind, this is shown through the intense delirious photographic imagery developed from the period within the theatrical chamber. The loft space was a physical representation of Ira Cohens mind, each small detail produced within the chamber came from his unique mind, fascinated with the distortion and complexity of mirror reflections. Furthermore, the results of the photographs produced from inside the Mylar Chamber are of the likes of which few had envisioned during the 1960’s and early 1970’s in New York City.