Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Paris



Well Paris is beautiful and the first snap is of someone I was walking behind down the street. Doesn’t she look just stunning? You can’t quite see her shoes but they were very high black wedges- all in all very elegant [ even if I don’t know how you walk on those shoes all day!]

The Sacre Couer Church at the top of Montmatre is a great place to start an unguided tour of Paris [ I just walk, walk and walk and see what I come across].around the little streets at the foot of the hill are many, many fabric shops- these are almost extinct in Australia but seem to be alive and well and prospering in Paris. They have a good range of fabric, lots of braid and all the extras. Even one of the major department stores in the centre of Paris has 2 floors devoted to fabric.
Wonderful quality, fantastic range and very good prices bring empty suitcase if you come this way.

Next I went to the new Art Museum at Quai Branly. Over whelming! Such a collection- really you would need to go every week for at least a year to get every thing.
The collection is based on the work of non-western traditions. So is a collection of sculpture, textiles, paintings musical instruments and etc, etc, etc.
It seems very carefully chosen and displays highlight of the area being examined.[in the area on India there is one of the finest kanthas I have ever seen]. The garments of display from the middle east are just stunning, I must say I went into overload around there and could have cried with burn out.

The value of looking at things like this for me lies in educating my eyes and I think it all perculates into a better understanding of putting things together and will hopefully inform my work in times to come.
That collection is going to take some time for me to daydream through and remember the details.
I might go back to morrow a lot slower and take some notes- or should I hit the Louvre? So many choices and not enough time..
Today is a contemporary art fair in front of the Hotel de Ville- should be very interesting

photos are the outside of the Musee Quai Branly and a fountain by Nikki de St Faille outside the Pompidou Centre [ for Oliver if you see this Nicola]

1 comment:

Nellie's Needles said...

I'm enjoying your travels. Thank you