SHARING WITH ME

I had no intention of going to see Le Corbusier exhibition at the Beaubourg. His political ties during the war to Vichy, not to mention his Anti-Semetic leanings have always put me off his work. Even his  buildings, which goodness knows, made him famous all over the world, have never really made me enthusiastic about him as an architect. I saw a lot with my Mother in the South of France. So when a friend who I see during our courses  at the Louvre and this time on Brueghel, said she had been amazed by his paintings... I picked up my ears!  There my ignorance really showed up. I didn’t know he had done any painting. So snarling to myself, I set off. He was born in Switzerland and was or became a visionary architect  (1887-1965). Also he changed his nationality and became a French citizen in 1930. His career spanned five decades, with his buildings constructed throughout Europe, India, and America. Dedicated to providing better living conditions for the residents o...

 The Mutual Art site (http://www.mutualart.com) sends me updates on exhibitions around the world (I do dream) and for Paris on a regular basis, a couple of times a week. One of them this week was for the Daniel Templon Gallery. I knew of Jim Dine’s work as he is reasonably well known for his range of techniques. He’s an American and had chosen to celebrate his 80th birthday with a new Installation in Paris. City of Glass .

The exhibition is a result of two and a half years work and possibly does celebrate his creative power. He’s certainly unique. The tools he uses in his work are as crucial as the finished work. He personally heated and twisted the tools used to create the glass cities which if you look closely include some weird and wonderful objects ! Would you believe that Dine is using blown glass for the very first time as a way, as he says it « to sculpt with light ». There are also a series of l...