Rainy Day in Paris - Go to the Museums!

So, what do you do if you are in Paris and it is raining? Well, as an Art Historian, I say - go to a museum. Now, today was a Tuesday, so the Louvre was closed, but that was not my agenda anyway!

I took the metro to see if I could get a ticket and see the Monet show at the Grand Palais, since it is ending next week. Unfortunately, it does not seem as if anyone without a ticket will be able to see the show before it ends - it is Sold out!

Thus, I looked at my Metro map and made my way to the Madeline station and the Pinacotheque de Paris. My plan "B" or rather the second show on my agenda today was the L'Or des Incas - the Gold of the Incas Origins and Mysteries.

The show was fantastic! I really love art of Central and South America and I always welcome opportunities to learn more about these incredible cultures. I took a lot of notes because the little guide that I purchased is in French.

Next on the agenda, and also closing next week was Basquiat. I purchased my ticket and then had a little bite for lunch, one of the students was thinking about joining me for the show. Whitney and I had spoken to a super nice Musee de Moderne Art employee at the help desk and I have now been back several times with my classes so he knows me and that I am from Pittsburgh (home of Andy Warhol). Basquiat was a unique artist who started with graffiti, and he is not for everyone. One of my students stated that she really did not like his work and much of it "creeped her out" because it looked like nightmares or horrible drug oriented fantasies. I really liked quite a bit of his art, and while much of it looks amaturish after viewing quite a bit of his oeuvre I believe that is not the case.

Basquiat did die at the age of 27 and drugs were the cause. Moral of this story kids, if you do a lot of drugs - you die! ie. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Basquiat, etc...

My final stop, and dare I say I saved the best for last, was the Musee du quai Branly which is an institution dedicated to the arts of Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The art used to be called "primitive" by Western Art Historians who felt art of Europe was superior. The artists of these cultures, however, have never been interested in re-creating or imitating reality to the extent that Western art has. Perspective was never developed because it was never a goal to replicate what they saw around them, imagination, abstraction, and stylization was always more valuable in these cultures.

Installations often make me say "hmmmm??? what were they thinking? what should I be thinking" but I really liked this one called River. LCD projectors were utilized to send words down the ramp in a flowing stream. The river of words had rapids and trickles and I thought it was really well done and inventive. One of my favorite installations!

Finally, as a photographer, I am always looking for an interesting picture of the Eiffel Tower that is unique. I think, I found one! Beside the Branly was an installation outside of 'light sticks' that projected light upward onto the building and offered a great foil for the larger lighted tower in the background - what do you think? Unique? I might have to go back and get it while it is twinkling - (the Eiffel Tower twinkles on the hour after dark for about 15 minutes) : )