I Prefer Paris

Carlos Cruz-Diaz Sculpture on Place de la Concorde

Another striking art installation from the FIAC/ Hors Les Murs 2019 is Environnement de Transchromie Circulaire by artist Carlos Cruz-Diaz. Located on the Tuileries side of Place de la Concorde, the circular structure from 2017 features overlapping, vertical multi-color panels made of transparent plexiglass. There’s an opening on one side of the sculpture and once I stepped in, it was a great opportunity to photograph the iconic Parisian sites through the myriad of the colored panels. 

Carlos Cruz-Diaz was born in Venezuela in1923 and died in Paris earlier this year. He was based in Paris since 1960 and his work is featured in the most prominent museums and galleries in the world including Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, Tate Modern, London, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Centre Pompidou, Paris, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne. 

Environnement de Transchromie Circulaire is standing until October 31. 

http://www.cruz-diez.com/

https://www.fiac.com/en/hors-les-murs/place-de-la-concorde/Carlos-Cruz-Diez/ 

LINKS EYE LIKE 

Checkout this article about the Davinci Exhibition at the Louvre in the N. Y. Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/21/arts/design/louvre-leonardo-exhibition.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Arts

In my latest  A Bite of Paris video, I've taken a break from food tasting to visit my friend Jessica at La Vaissellerie, my favorite tabletop, dish ware, and kitchen shop, located in the Marais. 

Click here to watch or link below 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGfIOVl7188&feature=youtu.be 

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel.

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

FIAC 2019 Hors Les Murs in the Tuileries

FIAC/ The International Contemporary Art Fair [Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain] is one of the top international fairs for contemporary and modern art and a major fall event in Paris, taking place over a four-day period in mid-October. 

Every year FIAC does an auxiliary showcase of art pieces and sculptures for public view at the Tuileries, Place Vendome, the Delacroix Museum and Place Concorde. 

The Tuileries has the largest concentration of art pieces and this year it was quite impressive. A sampling of international artists includes Alex Katz, Jenny Holzer, Cesar, Alex Calder, and Sylvie Fleury. 

My favorite piece was Nymphéas Post déluge II, 2019/ 500 umbrellas-Variable dimensions by Noel Dolla. Hundreds of umbrellas have submerged in the pond near to Place de la Concorde. When viewing the umbrellas, they are akin to Monet’s water lilies, free floating on the surface of the avocado green water. 

Below are more photos.

FIAC ended yesterday but the Hors Les Murs are up until October 31. 

https://www.fiac.com/en/hors-les-murs/

Cesar

In my latest  A Bite of Paris video, I've taken a break from food tasting to visit my friend Jessica at La Vaissellerie, my favorite tabletop, dish ware, and kitchen shop, located in the Marais. 

Click here to watch or link below 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGfIOVl7188&feature=youtu.be 

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel.

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

 

Jeff Koons Bouquet of Tulips

In November 0f 2016, New York artist Jeff Koons donated a work titled Bouquet of Tulips to the city of Paris as a remembrance of the terrorist attacks on 2015 and 2016. 

The towering sculpture measuring 41 feet in height, is fashioned from stainless steel, aluminum, and polychromed bronze, and resembles a large hand holding a bouquet of tulips. 

During the inaugural ceremony last week, Koons stated that the flowers are “a symbol that life moves forward”, adding that they “represent loss, rebirth, and the vitality of the human spirit”. 

The gift from Koons did not arrive without controversy. He was criticized for not donating the funds to install the sculpture, which came at a cost of approximately 4.3 million dollars. The gesture of the donation from Koons and its placement in Paris also came under fire. 

In January of 2018 a group of artists, museum workers, collectors and politicians, put their name to the letter declaring Koons’s gift symbolically inappropriate, undemocratic, and architecturally, patrimonially, artistically, financially, and technically “shocking.”

The sculpture was originally supposed to be placed in the plaza of the Palais de Tokyo but critics said the location wasn’t anywhere near the sites of the attacks geographically. 

Interestingly enough, Bouquet of Tulips has ended up in an obscure place behind Petite Palais in the gardens of the Champs Elysees, almost hidden and still far away from the sites of the attacks. 

In my latest  A Bite of Paris video, I've taken a break from food tasting to visit my friend Jessica at La Vaissellerie, my favorite tabletop, dish ware, and kitchen shop, located in the Marais. 

Click here to watch or link below 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGfIOVl7188&feature=youtu.be 

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel.

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Shadow Photos 2

I’ve been actively looking down on the ground for new shadows since my first shadow photo series in July. Since we’ve had an almost no rain in the last month and plenty of long, sunny days, it’s been a great opportunity to photograph shadows all over Paris.

Which of these do you prefer? 

In my latest  A Bite of Paris video, I've taken a break from food tasting to visit my friend Jessica at La Vaissellerie, my favorite tabletop, dish ware, and kitchen shop, located in the Marais. 

Click here to watch or link below 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGfIOVl7188&feature=youtu.be 

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel.

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Sous le Soleil Exactement: Vintage Black and White Photos at Hotel de Ville

There’s a delightful series of black and white photos hanging on the outside gates for the Hotel de Ville. The photos ranging from the 1930s to the 1970s capture the various heat waves Paris has experienced. The backgrounds include the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, cafes, swimming pools including the Molitor, and sidewalks. Perhaps the severe heat wave from this summer was the impetus for the exhibit. Everyone looks so happy in the photos, as compared with the misery residents and tourists suffered through in June and July. 

Sous le Soleil Exactement

Hotel de Ville 

Metro: Hotel de Ville 

Thanks to everyone who left a comment for the The Little Women Cookbook: Tempting Recipes from the March Sisters and Their Friends and Family.

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

 

Portraits du Grand Siècle du Marais

While walking in my neighborhood last week I kept seeing beautifully painted street art portraits with the title- Portraits du Grand Siècle du Marais. 

Upon further research I discovered that the mayor of the fourth arrondissement, Ariel Weil, invited renowned street artist Christian Guémy alias C215 to paint a series of portraits of the great figures in French history who lived in the Marais during the 17^th century. This period was the golden age of the Marais in terms of culture and art, and it was also the seat of political power. Starting with the reign of King Henry IV, from 1589 to 1610, the Marais became the cultural, intellectual, and social hub of Paris. The first literary salons were held in the grand mansions of the Marais inhabited by Paul Scarron and his wife, Françoise d'Aubigné, Madame de Sevigne and Madame de Maintenon. Other powerful figures of the period include Maximilian of Bethune, Duke of Sully, the Princess of Soubise, mistress of Louis XIV, and François Mansart, architect of the King Louis XIV and later Louis Le Vau. 

The portraits are cleverly mounted on public electric boxes painted brown all around the third and fourth arrondissement. Below is a list of addresses and names of the boxes if you would like to view them. 

1. Henri IV : à retrouver 15 boulevard Henri IV - 75004

2. Louis XIII et Ninon de l'Enclos : à retrouver 7 rue du Pas de la Mule - 75004

3. Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully : à retrouver 47 rue Saint-Antoine - 75004

4. Mme de Sévigné : à retrouver 34 rue de Sévigné - 75004

5. Madeleine de Scudéry : à retrouver 2 rue du Temple - 75004

6. Mme de Montespan : à retrouver Place Monique Antoine - 75004

7. Mme de Maintenon et Paul Scarron : à retrouver 51 rue de Turenne - 75003

8. Simon Vouet : à retrouver 98 rue Saint-Antoine - 75004

9. François Mansart : à retrouver 8 rue Payenne - 75004

10. Salomon de Brosse : à retrouver Place Saint-Gervais - 75004

11. Molière et Pierre Corneille : à retrouver face au 28 quai des Célestins - 75004

12. Princesse de Soubise : à retrouver 41 rue des Archives - 75004

13. Philippe de Champaigne : à retrouver Place Saint-Gervais - 75004

14. François Couperin dit "Le Grand" : à retrouver 25 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe - 75004

15. Charles Le Brun : à retrouver 1 quai aux Fleurs – 75004

Click here to download map and other info

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

 

Giverny Again

I can’t seem to get enough photos of Giverny. I recently did a tour of Giverny with a client and captured some great landscapes and summer flowers. Since it’s the rentree for the French this week and back to school for Americans, I thought this would be a reminder of summer. 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

 

 

Where am I? New York City!

Thanks for all you answers for the Where am I? contest on Tuesday.

I was in New York City for just a day the week before last. I took a walk with a friend through Washington Square Park and before we entered, we passed a small street, Washington Mews, which has cottage style houses with flower boxes and colored doors. After my day in New York, I went to attend a family wedding in the Hamptons for a long weekend. 

I stayed in my niece’s new home near Southampton village. Her driveway was lined with the most beautiful soft white hydrangeas and I’ve captured some photos of them for you.  

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

 

Window Boxes 2019- Series 2

Here’s a special surprise today, another series of window boxes. After the last series in July, I found a whole new crop of lovely window boxes. Enjoy! 

Click here to view my other window boxes from July in case you missed them. 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

 

Architecture on Ave. Felix Faure

Last week I had to run an errand close to Felix Faure Metro in the 15^th arr. The 15^th arr. is an area I know very little about and can count how many times I’ve been there since I moved here in 2005. 

After my errand, I was headed to the metro and came upon a stunning Art Nouveau apartment building with the most gorgeous and ornate architectural details. I decided to walk further to look for other similar buildings and I found some real beauties walking on Ave. Felix Faure and the surrounding streets. 

Most of these buildings were built on the later side of the Haussmann period, from about 1890 to 1915. One of the features of them is that they usually have the architect’s name carved on the outside along with either the building company or sometimes a sculptor’s name, if there are sculptures on it. 

A frequent name I noticed was Jean Boucher and when I researched his name it turns out he was a formidable sculptor who sculpted many war memorial statues and one of Victor Hugo in exile in Guernsey. 

Another name that popped up a number of times was Clement Feugueur, an architect who designed a number of buildings mostly in the 15^th and 16^th arrondissement. 

Felix Faure was the president of France from 1895 to 1899. Ave Felix Faure is served by three metro stations on line 8: Lourmel, Boucicaut, and Felix Faure. 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.