Sunday, December 31, 2006

Colors

Le Moretti by Raymond Moretti, Courbevoie, La Défense, Paris

Le Moretti by Raymond Moretti, 1992
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, October 2005

“Moretti's vivid imagination was able to express itself freely, transforming a 32-metre air vent into an unusual, colourful artwork. Using 672 fibreglass tubes from 2 to 30 centimetres in diameter, painted in 19 different colours, he covered the entire surface to better underline the volume while maintaining a verticality, offering an insolent and joyful dynamic. In total, the tubes are 22 kilometres long and weigh 27.5 tons! The artwork was created in 1990. The tubes were transported by barge from the manufacturing plant to the location of the chimney and required a total of 2,100 hours of assembly time. It was inaugurated in 1995.” (Le Moretti, Paris La Défense)

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Oiseau mécanique

Oiseau mécanique by Philolaos Tloupas, Place des Reflets, Courbevoie, La Défense, Paris

Oiseau mécanique (Mechanical Bird) by Philolaos Tloupas, 1972
Place des Reflets
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, October 2005

“An emblematic sculpture in the artist's artwork, the Oiseau mécanique, with its surprising aspects, seems to have come straight out of his imagination. Its stainless steel structure allows a play of reflections with the sky, and oscillates between urban aesthetics and natural forms. Philolaos presents two other artworks at La Défense: Nymphéas and Cheminées.” (Oiseau mécanique, Paris La Défense)

Friday, December 29, 2006

Tour Opus 12

Tour Opus 12 by Denis Valode and Jean Pistre, Esplanade du Général-de-Gaulle, Puteaux, La Défense, Paris

Tour Opus 12 by Denis Valode and Jean Pistre
Esplanade du Général-de-Gaulle
Puteaux, La Défense
Paris, October 2005

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Tour Exaltis

Tour Exaltis, Rue Henri Regnault, Courbevoie, La Défense, Paris

Tour Exaltis
Rue Henri Regnault
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, October 2005

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Araignée Rouge

Araignée Rouge, Red Spider by Alexander Calder, Puteaux, La Défense, Paris

Araignée Rouge (Red Spider) by Alexander Calder, 1974
Place de La Défense
Puteaux, La Défense
Paris, October 2005

“This imposing sculpture (stable in the words of its author, as opposed to mobile) in steel weighs 75 tons and is 15 meters high. It evokes a famous artwork by the same artist, Flamingo, located in Chicago. Installed in 1976, the year of the artist's death, when he himself chose its location on the Place de La Défense, it now resounds like a powerful tribute to its creator.” (Araignée Rouge, Paris La Défense)

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Notre-Dame de Pentecôte

Notre-Dame de Pentecôte by Franck Hammoutène, Puteaux, La Défense, Paris

Notre-Dame de Pentecôte by Franck Hammoutène, 2001
Place de La Défense
Puteaux, La Défense
Paris, October 2005

“Notre-Dame de Pentecôte is certainly one of the most singular buildings in La Défense. Initially, it was more a place of welcome and religious ceremony operating without a parish, replacing an old prayer space. The actual church project emerged in 2001. If the bell tower of Notre-Dame de Pentecôte, a translucent wall in which a negative cross is drawn, is not the most conventional, it nevertheless places the building in its context while giving it a symbolism that the rest of the towers lack. The absence of direct reference, however, maintains a link with the architecture of La Défense. A veritable box set on six piles, the building has three levels of floors housing meeting rooms, a reception hall and a lithurgical space. Meticulous work is carried out on the marble and smooth concrete materials and the lithurgical furniture, created by the sculptor Pierre Sabatier.” (Notre-Dame de Pentecôte, Paris La Défense)

Monday, December 25, 2006

Kodak EasyShare One

Kodak EasyShare One ad, Arche de la Défense, Puteaux, La Défense

Kodak EasyShare One ad
Arche de la Défense
Puteaux, La Défense
Paris, October 2005

Sunday, December 24, 2006

La mégère

La mégère, Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, Place Saint-Georges, Paris

La mégère
Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, 1911
Place Saint-Georges
Quartier Saint-Georges, 9th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Le mendiant

Le mendiant, Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, Place Saint-Georges, Paris

Le mendiant
Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, 1911
Place Saint-Georges
Quartier Saint-Georges, 9th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Friday, December 22, 2006

La lorette

La lorette, Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, Place Saint-Georges, Paris

La lorette
Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, 1911
Place Saint-Georges
Quartier Saint-Georges, 9th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Thursday, December 21, 2006

L'artiste

L'artiste, Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, Place Saint-Georges, Paris

L'artiste
Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, 1911
Place Saint-Georges
Quartier Saint-Georges, 9th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Monument à Gavarni

Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, Place Saint-Georges, Paris

Monument à Gavarni by Denys Puech, 1911
Place Saint-Georges
Quartier Saint-Georges, 9th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

L'Epée de Bois

L'Epée de Bois, Rue Mouffetard, Paris

L'Epée de Bois
Rue Mouffetard
Quartier du Val-de-Grâce, 5th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Monday, December 18, 2006

Place Monge

Fountain, Place Monge, Paris

Fountain
Place Monge
Quartier du Jardin-des-Plantes, 5th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Rue de la Bûcherie

Shakespeare and Company, Rue de la Bûcherie, Paris

Shakespeare and Company
Rue de la Bûcherie
Quartier de la Sorbonne, 5th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Gavroche

The tourist boat Gavroche, Petit Pont, Paris

The tourist boat “Gavroche”
Petit Pont (Little Bridge)
Paris, October 2005

Friday, December 15, 2006

Fondation Louis Lepine

Fondation Louis Lepine, Rue Massillon, Île de la Cité, Paris

Fondation Louis Lepine
Rue Massillon
Île de la Cité
Quartier Notre-Dame, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Place Louis-Aragon

Quai de Bourbon seen from above, Place Louis-Aragon, Île Saint-Louis, Paris

Quai de Bourbon seen from above
Place Louis-Aragon
Île Saint-Louis
Quartier Notre-Dame, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Quai des Célestins

Morris column and bench, Quai des Célestins, Paris

Morris column and bench
Quai des Célestins
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Le Double Fond

Le Double Fond, Place du Marché-Sainte-Catherine, Paris

Le Double Fond
Place du Marché-Sainte-Catherine
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Monday, December 11, 2006

Je ramasse

Je ramasse, Rue du Roi-de-Sicile, Le Marais, Paris

Je ramasse
Rue du Roi-de-Sicile, Le Marais
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Alimentation générale

Alimentation générale, Rue des Rosiers, Le Marais, Paris

Alimentation générale
Rue des Rosiers, Le Marais
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Saturday, December 9, 2006

Rue des Rosiers

Rue des Rosiers, Le Marais, Paris

Rue des Rosiers, Le Marais
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

“The Rue des Rosiers, which means ‘street of the rosebushes,’ is a street in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It begins at Rue Malher and proceeds northwest across Rue Pavée, Rue Ferdinand Duval, Rue des Écouffes, and Rue des Hospitalières Saint-Gervais before it ends at Rue Vieille du Temple. Rue des Rosiers lies at the center of the Jewish quarter unofficially called ‘the Pletzl’ (Yiddish for ‘little place’). Shopping hours are restricted in Paris, but an exception was granted to this area due to Saturday being the Jewish Sabbath. As a result, cafes and shops are open in this area on Sundays and holidays, which draws large crowds of both Jews and non-Jews. During the last ten years, the small Jewish shops have been largely crowded out and the Rue des Rosiers has become notable for fashion. The quaint boutiques of days-gone-by have given way to gleaming minimalist showrooms for some of Europe's trendiest labels. Officially, this street is in the Marais district, which extends along the Rue de Rivoli a short distance away, and some refer to the area as ‘Saint Paul’ because of the proximity of the Place Saint-Paul.” (Rue des Rosiers, Wikipedia)

Friday, December 8, 2006

L'Ours du Marais

L'Ours du Marais, Rue Pavée, Le Marais, Paris

L'Ours du Marais
Rue Pavée, Le Marais
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Hôtel d'Angoulême Lamoignon

Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris, Hôtel d'Angoulême Lamoignon, Rue Pavée, Le Marais, Paris

Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris
Hôtel d'Angoulême Lamoignon
Rue Pavée, Le Marais
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Stone and ivy leaves

Bas-relief and ivy leaves, Square Georges-Cain, Rue Payenne, Le Marais, Paris

Bas-relief and ivy leaves
Square Georges-Cain
Rue Payenne, Le Marais
Quartier des Archives, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Hétéroclite

Hétéroclite, Rue Elzévir, Le Marais, Paris

Hétéroclite
Rue Elzévir, Le Marais
Quartier des Archives, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Monday, December 4, 2006

Place de Thorigny

Benches, Place de Thorigny, Le Marais, Paris

Benches
Place de Thorigny, Le Marais
Quartier des Archives, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Sunday, December 3, 2006

Hôtel Libéral Bruant

Front door handle, Hôtel Libéral Bruant, Rue de la Perle, Le Marais, Paris

Front door handle
Hôtel Libéral Bruant
Rue de la Perle, Le Marais
Quartier des Archives, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Saturday, December 2, 2006

Département de la Seine

Département de la Seine, Rue de Saintonge, Le Marais, Paris

Département de la Seine
Rue de Saintonge, Le Marais
Quartier des Archives, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, October 2005

Friday, December 1, 2006

Rue de Poitou

Boulangerie, Rue de Saintonge, Rue de Poitou, Le Marais, Paris

Boulangerie
Rue de Poitou, Le Marais
Quartier des Archives, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, October 2005