SHARING WITH ME

From ghosts to monsters and onto drugs. I was more than apprehensive when  I went off to see «Sous Influence» («Under the Influence» at the Maison Rouge. Drugs of any kind frighten me - I guess in a way, any form of dependence frightens me. Could I divorce myself from the fact that many of the artists I was about to see had created under psychotropic drugs? I knew that the exhibition was to give a perception of the relationship between artists and psychotropics  during the 20th century to the present day. Artists have frequently used such «artifices» in the research of new experiences in the hope that they would trigger off a richer form of creativity. Fortunately not all artists are concerned. I was told that an artist is not a drug addict like a real one as the reason for taking such stuff meant he could transfert his visions into new images. But how many of them killed themselves in the process?  It was below 0° when I walked over to the Maison Rouge - a couple of kilometres away

Filled with air and then went flat I spent an hour or so with some monsters. After my experience at the Louvre with Ghosts (Erik Bilal at the Louvre) it was a delightful change. What are monsters? Those horrible creatures that keep children awake at night? Fear and worry to escape horrific images? Shapes instilled in our inner selves which come to the surface when we are under stress? Or can images be fashion oriented? In the contemporary fashion field, the human body is constantly transformed into the unknown, bizarre and sometimes a monstrous mode comes to the surface. Of shapes, colours, volumes which are unthinkable in dress form, masks, and models which become hybrid creatures. I hardly feel that such a fashion shown could be described as what you will be wearing next season. What perhaps is acceptable to me is rejected totally by someone else. Today I can create my own avatar on Internet if I want to or on my Ipad for that matter giving full leave to my fantasies and imaginat

I have got to admit it! I am addicted to Scrabble on my Ipad. Hours seem to go by when of course I should be doing other things. If you have the game you have probably discovered too that your virtual partner cheats badly with words that do not exist and even words that if you ask for if in a predicament are not, in my Larousse either. So wandering along toward the Odeon the other day, the rain was beginning and I was next to the Cluny Museum which is medieval. It’s a museum I enjoy and have discovered that much of this art - be it religious or not along with the sculpture is often without the incredible detail that you find for instance in the Renaissance. There was an exhibition  which was about to end and I had intended going before the last day, but what better moment that now with the rain spitting and a ghastly wind blowing. «Art of Game and Game in Art» «Art du jeu, jeu dans l’Art» - from Babylone to the Medieval Occident. Before my addiction to Scrabble, I have never been ta

After our conferences at the Louvre School on the Monday or Wednesday, Marielle and I usually go off and look at the originals of the work that have been discussed - if of course they are in the Louvre. This week there were none so we decided to go and see two small - very small exhibitions. Both quite bewildering! The first had interested me as I have been reading quite a bit on the subject New Frontier II. American Art Enters the Louvre. 
The origins of American genre painting «This year’s theme is the development of genre painting in the United States from the first half of the 19th century to the Civil War, a period of economic and territorial expansion for the young nation. Interest in art was not yet widespread, and European academics struggled to find an audience. Some American artist met with popular success by painting scenes that depicted the daily lives of people on the fringes of society, those who ventured into the huge country’s virgin territories. Though seemingly n