Today we went to the Pompidou Center. It was a bit funny that on our way there, Terry got us lost in a mall. We circled around stores, went up and down escalators, and looked quite ridiculous...because, quite frankly, what group of twenty-something people get lost in a mall? I'm just imagining a group of twenty French students getting lost in Oneonta's Southside mall...it'd be a pretty funny sight. Either way, once we arrived at the Pompidou Center- it was quite a unique building. It displayed all the inner workings of the structure, which ended up being not only visually intriguing, but an architectural innovation. I guess not many people were fans of it originally, but it's pretty neat. Amanda gave her presentation on two of Dali's pieces outside since they frown on group things as well. So when we entered the museum we dispersed in smaller groups. I once again ended up venturing away from Brittini and Danielle because they were zooming in and out of rooms before I got done with two paintings. I prefer it that way anyway, but we made times and places to check in so we could plan for lunch. The first gallery I entered was essentially dedicated to female artists. This was quite refreshing, as most of the work we've seen up until this point as been by males. Furthermore, we have seen many, many nude women painted as muses or goddesses. On piece that really struck me that follows this theme was by the Guerilla Girls entitled "Do Women Have to Be Naked to Get into the Met Museum?". The piece took Ingre's "Odelisque" and threw a gorilla head on the body and gave statistics to show that there are barely any women artists shown in the Met...but there are hundreds upon hundreds of naked women portrayed in various forms. Natacha Nisic's "Catalogue de gestes" was a bit disturbing to me for some reason. It was a series of videos with one motion utilizing just the hands over and over and over. For instance, ripping off the petals from a flower, or buttoning a shirt, or wiping blood off of a finger. The whole thing just seemed violent to me. Also, the repetition of the hands playing simeltaneously mixed with the looping of an individual task made me think of the repetition of an assembly line. Perhaps these are the actions we make day to day- we're like a machine. Or perhaps it was meant to show how violent our day to day activities seem when blown up and studied. Either way, it really effected me. A video that was much more disturbing than that one was Ana Mendieta's "Chicken Piece", in which she shows herself cutting off the head of a chicken, then presenting the headless chicken to the camera while it rapdily flaps its wings. It was kind of strange to see that the chicken could still flap it's wings despite lacking a head, but it was so grotesque and violent...not really my thing. I thought Martha Rosler's "Semiotics of the Kitchen" was intresting. It was a video of her with a plethora of cooking instruments like egg beaters, graters, forks, etc. She was placed in a kichen and kind of resembled a cooking show like Rachel Ray. She stared unenthusiastically, almost bored, at the camera as she announced the object and displayed, quite violently, how to use it without any food attached. This piece was meant to show the mindless and sexist placement of females- to break this idea that women belonged in the kitchen. It was quite a powerful piece in my eyes. The final video I wanted to note was Halida Boughriet's "Action"- in which she video taped herself going up to strangers to try and hold their hands, and the reactions of that person (which was summarized strictly by their had movements)- most times in sheer horror or disgust of a stranger trying to hold their hand. I felt this really embodied the idea that we're disconnected as a species. The fact that we cannot trust other humans is sad. It also reminded me of the "Free Hug" videos that went around Youtube a few years ago. Where a man got off an airport and had no one waiting for him and it really upset him. So he started going to places with a sign that said "Free Hug" and at first no one wanted to come near him- thinking he was crazy and perverted. Soon one person did it, then another, and another, etc. This was taped then put up on Youtube. Soon, many people were doing their own "Free Hug" signs and posting it on Youtube. It became a sort of performance art bit that the Youtube community was a part of. Christina Iglesias' "Untitled (Passage II)" was spectacular. You entered this large room, and there was this rope that was tied and patterned out and mounted to the walls hanging over the floor. Though the rope work was interesting, the real masterpiece was the shadows that lain on the floor. There was this rich, thick shadow that danced all over the room. This piece was truly all about the lighting. The positive and negative space played off each other well- and it was just all round a mind boggling piece. There were other female artists I was glad to see. I was glad to see a few pieces by Yoko Ono since she rarely gets any recognition for her artwork- which she was in the forefront of the Fluxus movement and did some amazing performance pieces. I also enjoyed seeing Diane Arbus' photographs- though they were not any of my favorites. I also enjoyed Sylvie Fleury's "Tableau no 1" which was meant to be a feminem version of Mondrian's work. I really wanted to touch the furry primary colors- but thought I'd get yelled at. There was even more fun things upstairs- perhaps the two highlights for me was the Dada room and the Richard Avedon room. Since my thesis was partially on Dada, I was quite happy and excited to get to see some of their work. For instance, Duchamp's infamous "Fountain" as well as his "In Advance of a Broken Arm". I just love the humor and playful attitudes mixed with statements. Richard Avedon is amongst my favorite photographers- so I was estatic when I stumbled into his room. He had portraits of several artists and well known people such as Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon, and Marcel Duchamp. I love how he pulls physical quirks and traits to portray the individuals that truly accent their uniqueness. It's more than just a snapshot of the person's apperance. I found his self portraits funny- because he looked so awkward and posed compared to his subjects. I think he didn't feel comfortable and was trying to capture himself in front of the camera rather than just letting it come naturally. There was just something more tight and planned with his self-portraits. I also enjoyed Simon Hantai's "Peinture" which was almost Pollock-esque which abstract swirls and lines. The use of pinks and blacks really created a sense of depth and it popped off the canvas. I also responded to Tanguy's "Jour de Lenteur" mostly because I find it amazing that he can make abstract shapes and things look real. He also manages to create a sense of depth and space despite using a relatively empty backdrop. I truly enjoyed this museum because it really explored a variety of styles and materials of the artworld. There were installations, videos, found objects, projections, books, texts, furniture, spoons, and more. Things were on the ground, in the air, reflected, shadowed, interactive, and not. It just truly broke the mold of what an art museum is like- which was refreshing. The museum itself was a nice center for the type of art that it held also. I'm glad we got to see some modern art. I was, however, disappointed that we didn't get to see the Brancusi exhibit. I especially wanted to see his "The Kiss"- but maybe we'll make it back there before we leave...I won't hold my breath though because we kept saying that in London!
Following the museum, the class ventured over to the Paris Opera House. We got admission to wander around the building; however, there was quite a limited number of rooms we could actually go in- only about four or five. It was quite grandiose and over the top as far as decorations go. Everything was guilded, painted, and lit up. There were huge mirrors or arched windows. There were chandeliers and sculpted details in the furnishings. It was truly a beautiful sight. We also got to sneak a peek at the stage through a window and see the dancers practicing for their latest performance. The grand staircase was amazing too- it was just so lavish and wonderful. I liked what Terry said about how all the great composers, dancers, actors, and muscians have played here. Furthermore, many artists came here for inspiration- such as Degas. This was also the place where Phantom of the Opera was based on- which was kind of cool. There's actually a lake underneath the building (of which we didn't get to see either). It was just a great experience, but I was disappointed that we couldn't explore more of the building since it was so large. Brittini, Danielle, and I had wanted to go to a ballet performance; however, they were sold out for all performances this week. I really wanted to experience the building for it was meant for- I wanted to see the theatre in person, the lighting, and of course- the dancers!
After Le Palais Garnier, Brittini, Danielle, and I grabbed a bite to eat then headed back to the mall in which we got lost in. We wanted to shop a bit. We also purchased our tickets for both the circus and Moulin Rouge. The circus looks really cool, and it's not what you would immediately think of when you think circus. There's a lot of miming, acrobatics, and illusion work. I'm excited to see it. Also, when else are you going to be able to go to the Moulin Rouge? I'm very excited to get dressed up and see a show there! We also get complimentary champagne...so that's always nice.
Aside from shopping, there was nothing else of note for tonight. We eventually ended up hanging out at our room and recorded some videos for Brittini's blog and planned our next few days. I did want to make a note of the music here. The majority of it that we've heard has been in English. I found this strange. I'm not sure if this is why so many Parisianss speak English well or if they can't understand it but like the melodies. Danielle and I stumbled upon the French version of "Don't Forget the Lyrics" and there was even English songs on that! I find it strange, but interesting. I also find it ridiculous that one serving of Coca-Cola at a resteraunt costs anywhere from 3.50-5 Euros! In the states I can get unlimited refills for around $2! I'm used to drinking diet coke like it's water...so I've been going through withdrawls. It's hard for me to only drink one to two a day! At one resteraunt the beer was cheaper than soda. That's one thing I'm REALLY looking forward to when I get home...cheap soda.
Question of the Day: Read a label carefully. Address whether it is adequte or inadequate. What would you like to know that is not included in the label?
I found many of the labels in the Pompidou Center inadequate for me. Most of the labels had the artist's name, the title of the piece, the date, and most of the time the medium; however, they were all in French. I would have appreciated a translation in English or a pamphlet with English translations. Though I don't really expect this to happen because it is France and I don't think they should have to accomdate English speakers- it's just something I'd appreciate. Something that I think they really SHOULD add is a little background on the piece. Many of the pieces I saw had a short quote from the artist, again in French, but not really a summary of what the piece is about- which would help on many of the more abstract pieces. Many museums do have such a thing- but I did not see this at this particular museum.
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