SO MUCH TO DISCOVER IN PARIS
I am so lucky to live in the heart of Paris. I may be wandering down the rue Monge not really knowing where I am going or what I am going to do....or on the other hand, I make a change of plans because I suddenly think of something I would like to see. So much is in within walking distance and at this time of the year, Paris thinks about putting on her Springtime clothing and we can take off our heavy coats.
There was another gallery which I wanted to go to and bingo it was closed as a new set-up was underway. Off to Beaubourg. I wanted to see Sotto and there were two other major exhibitions I could take in at the same time. Alina Szapocznikow, whom of course I knew nothing about and Eileen Gray whom I did but as her interior decoration has never really turned me on, there was not reason to go and see her work. For me it would seem, as there were many visitors at her exhibition.
There is nothing I can saw about it. Eileen Gray is Irish, considered to be an iconic interior designer of Art Deco which I really don’t follow. Some of her carpets impressed me but for the rest....her design is not for me.
I went down to the fourth floor to see SOTO. I knew his work and had seen a wonderful installation at the Beaubourg - but when was that? I don’t remember. Jesus Rafael Soto - 1923-2005 -was one of the main protagonists in the revival of kinetic art in Europe during the 50’s and the 60’s. Venezuelan and in my book very handsome with laughing eyes. He lived and worked in Paris from the 1950’s until the end of his life in 2005. This exhibition is a retrospective of his work from the Plexiglas paintings in the 50’s, the vibrations with suspended iron wires on rods in the 60’s and 70’s and then he changed again after that. This work is virtually impossible to photograph as there are so many dimensions and the spectator has to walk around the installation to understand it. Or in fact, in certain cases walk into it. There is a freedom in what he did and although you can’t see this in a photographic form, the works seem to breathe and sway as you pass. I loved it.
Across on the other side of this exhibition was Alina Szapocznikow. A Polish artist (1923-2005). I certainly didn’t know her. It’s a recent discovery in France too. She’s provocative and unclassifiable. I like that. There is something very personal about her work too. Many of her drawings, virtually all without a title, are quite enchanting. Simple with a lot of humour. Her sculptures are strange. Her self portrait is even stranger. The way she presents the human body is quite eerie. There seems to be something of Francis Bacon in her work but in a sculpted form. Violent and not very approachable. I liked what I saw - but then I like discoveries.
There was another gallery which I wanted to go to and bingo it was closed as a new set-up was underway. Off to Beaubourg. I wanted to see Sotto and there were two other major exhibitions I could take in at the same time. Alina Szapocznikow, whom of course I knew nothing about and Eileen Gray whom I did but as her interior decoration has never really turned me on, there was not reason to go and see her work. For me it would seem, as there were many visitors at her exhibition.
There is nothing I can saw about it. Eileen Gray is Irish, considered to be an iconic interior designer of Art Deco which I really don’t follow. Some of her carpets impressed me but for the rest....her design is not for me.
I went down to the fourth floor to see SOTO. I knew his work and had seen a wonderful installation at the Beaubourg - but when was that? I don’t remember. Jesus Rafael Soto - 1923-2005 -was one of the main protagonists in the revival of kinetic art in Europe during the 50’s and the 60’s. Venezuelan and in my book very handsome with laughing eyes. He lived and worked in Paris from the 1950’s until the end of his life in 2005. This exhibition is a retrospective of his work from the Plexiglas paintings in the 50’s, the vibrations with suspended iron wires on rods in the 60’s and 70’s and then he changed again after that. This work is virtually impossible to photograph as there are so many dimensions and the spectator has to walk around the installation to understand it. Or in fact, in certain cases walk into it. There is a freedom in what he did and although you can’t see this in a photographic form, the works seem to breathe and sway as you pass. I loved it.
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| You could walk into this but people came out fast |
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| Pentrables |
Across on the other side of this exhibition was Alina Szapocznikow. A Polish artist (1923-2005). I certainly didn’t know her. It’s a recent discovery in France too. She’s provocative and unclassifiable. I like that. There is something very personal about her work too. Many of her drawings, virtually all without a title, are quite enchanting. Simple with a lot of humour. Her sculptures are strange. Her self portrait is even stranger. The way she presents the human body is quite eerie. There seems to be something of Francis Bacon in her work but in a sculpted form. Violent and not very approachable. I liked what I saw - but then I like discoveries.
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| Shirt a Requiem for the Bottom 1971 |
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| flash machine 1964 |
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| Human landscape 1972 |
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| Breast in a Great Cloth 1970-71 |
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| Kaprys Monster 1967 |
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| No title |
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| SELF PORTRAIT 1966 |
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| SELF PORTRAIT 1966 |
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| Study for the Jester 1960 |
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| no title 1961 |
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