Found Drawings

I was able to find many examples of my themed found drawings throughout the city. My theme was the discontinuity that technology forces upon flooring. There is a need for vents and power sources in the age that we live in and because of this, the flooring medium, mostly tile and wood in Paris, must be altered to make room for their new neighbors. The floor no longer serves as merely a walkway but houses our technological gadgets attempting to improve our way of life. I was impressed by the different ways that Parisians have used this necessary function of flooring to display more of their artistic handiworks. This approach to art has allowed Paris to adopt an air of elegance in their structures and city layout without compromising their ability to function smoothly. The ability to make art out of the mundane is key to life because it transports its viewer, if even temporarily, out of their own lives and into the beautiful world of art.

Walking the City

After reading Paris, or Botanizing on the Asphalt, I was able to further understand my own trip to Paris. In the article, the author, Walter Benjamin explains why it is so important to walk through Paris if you want to truly see it. He goes on to say that the best way to actually become a part of the city is by walking at a turtle’s pace without a hard-pressed destination in mind. There are so many sites that “you have to see” but each forces a path ending with a destination in mind. This movement is completely opposite from Walter Benjamin wants you to see when you want to become a part of the city. It is hard to reconcile these two seemingly different ways to approach the city but both must be used. When coming to Paris, I personally feel that I must see the Louvre and the Notre Dame, even after two other trips doing the same thing. It as if you owe yourself the most amount of time possible at certain sites in the world: if you are nearby, your very soul requires you to go regardless of whether you have been before. But then there is also the need to stroll aimlessly. Walking to find the Eiffel tower or Sacre Coure by merely walking in the right general direction brings you by places and things that would be bypassed when a direct route is planned out. The clear message that the journey is more important than the destination is undeniable as well. I have enjoyed seeing this city of lights through intended routes and random encounters, both have left me with the feeling that I have seen Paris.

Seine River

The best way to see Paris is by foot. The second best way is by boat. Going on the river tour of Paris today allowed me to see Paris without worrying where the metro stop was or where the nearest water closet would be. Because of this, I would say the water provided a very close “second best way” to see the city. I love the beautiful bridges that this city has built to traverse its bloodline, the Seine River. Sitting directly beneath them allowed me to see the incredible detail of their façade. I also was able to enjoy seeing many of the famous sites that the city has, all in one sitting. It was a great mapping exercise of the city. This single sitting allowed for the greatest continuity I have felt to date about where places are located within the city of Paris.

Center of the World

I did not realize the information that maps could provide beyond direction until going to the Bibliotheque Nationalle de France Map Department. There, I was able to learn so much more about France and her relationship with the rest of the world. Paris was drawn out in great detail in a variety of maps while the countryside was barely understood. Louis XVI finally commissioned hunting maps of the areas around Versailles and the surrounding land was elevated to “map status.” This disregard for detail can also be seen in older maps of America. Louisiana would the focus but would not be drawn out in true likeness; non-existent geographical locations were drawn in. This center of the world approach showcases that France was an empire for a long time and was the center of life for its subjects. This understanding served me well while exploring her grand museums, palaces, and gardens.

Sight

I thought that I would need to keep my eyes open for this class but have realized that in order to do that I would first need to shut them.  I have noticed that a theme throughout this class has been to see things with your eyes closed.  Through the blindfold drawings, I learned to draw through words and that the outcome would be a result of two people's perceptions.  Another art form, eating would also need to be done without my sight.  Eating at Dans Le Noir was a dining experience unique in its darkness; everything is done in the black of night.  There, I learned that I really enjoy knowing what i am eating before doing so and that along with taste and smell, sight was a big part of my dining experience.  I am glad that I could learn all of these lessons through my temporary loss of vision.

Winding Walk

Today I went to a charming park that was in the middle of working Paris. I say working because I saw not one other tourist with their trusty guidebook in tow. It was almost odd to see the real Paris, the Paris where most days are spent for true Parisians, away from the foreigners trying to soak up their beautiful culture. There were children everywhere, laughing and playing with their caregivers. Through the winding walk, I strolled by a child learning to ride a bike, a French class taking their lessons outside, and a waterfall. Those that would frequent it during the early 20th century aptly called the park the most Surrealist Park in all of Paris. I sketched, stopping at every trashcan, and was exposed to beautiful flowers and a great variety of dogs. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Running the World

Sainte Chapelle showcases why the Catholic Church had the power that it did. I never understood why the Church was able to really inspire people on an individual basis to respond to their demands, until I came to Europe. The sense of awe that I had upon walking up the stairs to the Sainte Chapelle must be the same sense that subjects throughout Europe felt while walking into their own places of worship. The iconography of many cathedrals stays the same but their personalities vary greatly. Stained glass moves me because my grandmother used to take me places to admire it further. Those memories helped create my own personal biases towards stained glass and can be seen by my response to the Sainte Chapelle. Being able to sit through a concert and soaking up the environment gave me a glimmer into what it would have been like when the church ran the world.

Tour de France, part Giverny

I have wanted to go bike riding in France since I started watching Lance Armstrong win the yellow jersey again and again (and again and again and again and again and again). I did not quite feel like Lance while pedaling through Giverny but rather saw the beautiful life that Monet lead and was inspired by. Although he did not live there his whole life, it seems that much of his best work was inspired by his life there. I have never really wanted to love Monet because it was too commercial but after seeing how perfectly he was able to capture the essence of Giverny and his own abode, I can no longer disregard them. I took photographs there but they do the place no justice. Only through Monet’s masterpieces can I truly return to the Garden of Eden that is Giverny.