A day at the Orsay

Today was a grey-skies day in Paris, which normally I find to be rather depressing in any other place in the world, but today I found it to be quite beautiful. It was not too cold and all the autumn leaves were beautiful and perfect. The city felt as romantic as ever as I strolled along the Seine from Les Invalides to le Musée d'Orsay, stopping for a long lunch at a small cafe along the way.


The museum is currently holding an Art Nouveau exhibit, which I visited first and I quickly fell in love. I will post another post about it later, but for now... Impressionism. Perhaps my long lunch went a little too long, because I didn't have as much time as I would have liked at the museum before it closed, but I managed to see the Impressionism section, which was what I was looking forward to seeing today. I saw works by Renoir, Monet, Degas, Cezzane, and of course Van Gogh. I just wanted to share with you some of the beautiful art I saw today.

Richard Avedon

So I had a strange post last week… I was thinking many thoughts and I have now had time to sort them out. But today I want to continue with photography a little bit, since I think it is an art very much entangled in the giant web of ‘Design’ and I find it not only to be extremely relevant, but very much important and influential for anyone thinking about or observing design.

One of my favorite photographers is the legendary Richard Avedon, a fine art, portrait, and fashion photographer who lived from 1923 to 2004. In his fashion portraits, he became famous for portraying models in action and full of life, contrary to the past photos of fashion models for magazines in which they were portrayed still and almost lifeless.

He also worked heavily in portraits, photographing everyone from Marilyn Monroe and Bjork to farmers, cowboys and beekeepers in the middle of the American countryside. His photographs capture an essence of humanity that is rarely seen in daily life; he photographs all of his subjects equally and treats them all with respect, and it shows in the faces and eyes of every one of his subjects. This sense of equality along with his incredible talent, are two factors that distinguish him as one of the most important photographers of our time.

A few months ago, I saw the Richard Avedon exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and I must say, I had tears in my eyes. I am not sure why, but some of his photographs just consumed me, and afterwards, I felt a little bit more complete. Sounds cheesy, I know, but honestly, I felt like I knew something new about the world that I didn’t know before. I suppose that makes a truly good photographer…

All Photos taken by Richard Avedon. Images found here:

http://femka.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/richard-avedon1188215126-1.jpg

http://www.undeniablestyle.com/wp-content/wp-uploads/Play/Richard_Avedon/richard_avedon_marilyn.jpg

http://extremebeautyinvogue.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/richard-avedon31.jpg

http://www.masters-of-fine-art-photography.com/02/artphotogallery/database/richard_avedon_07.jpg

http://onblur.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/richard_avedon_selfportrait.jpg

http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Richard_Avedon/images/7.L.jpg

http://www.designboom.com/history/avedon/6.jpg

http://modejournalistin.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/artwork_images_396_44592_richard-avedon1.jpg

http://www.repubblica.it/2006/08/gallerie/spettacoliecultura/richard-avedon/esterne131416001302142025_big.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8zcFlstsgGawwi0suxYQ0B2m7Iai6PQvzkXbjNo6AZd-W1hflbJhYAu9aCwGUEV0nwpLJpTHv69qivjOQuY5kpqr3cZ3hoDYtlRf7uqpskLO_jLmRznuY1_gjDzY6FG3osmWBBj4ofa0/s400/richard_avedon_01.jpg

Wheels turning

Today, I watched a documentary called "War Photographer" about James Nachtwey... I think it changed my life.

Or rather, it made me re-discover, for the millionth time, my burning passion for photography.

I printed my first real full-sized print in photography today, and the joy it brought me was something I think only photography can bring.

I am at a strange and magical crossroad right now....

Sorry this post is so odd. I just have many thoughts, and not enough ways to express them.

Perhaps I will elaborate more on the inner workings of my brain soon... for now, I must rest before a trip to the Loire Valley

So very far from this......

Photo by James Nachtwey, found at: http://alexandriaxxi.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/jn0024chin_ga.jpg

Fashion student in Paris > Fashion student anywhere else

I am slowly starting to realize the magnitude of my situation - how many fashion students can say that for class, they walked down Rue St. Honoré in Paris to look and learn about the history of Fashion in the world? Well, for a few lucky students (including me), that was what we called 'class' today.

Also, for this same class, last week's class consisted of going to the Musée des Arts Decoratifs to see the Madeline Vionnet exhibit. I managed to take one blurry picture before my professor said, "That is the first, and last picture you will be able to take in this exhibit, Darling."

Here are some photos of my class time in Paris.

Alexander McQueen, Lanvin, Alexander Wang and more featured in the window display of Joseph

The super-fancy interior of the LV store

I died today.

My other serious relationship is with shoes. omg. shoes.

I am a design polygamist.

Coco Chanel's favorite chocolate

The original Chanel location

Those famous stairs

Eye-Catching, Mind-Catching

During the week that my family came to visit, we saw some really amazing things in Paris - the most noteworthy, for me at least, was... the Opera.

My dad managed to get the LAST remaining tickets for the four of us, and we saw "L'Elixir d'Amour" - The Elixir of Love - starring none other than Anna Netrebko and Roland Villazon, two of the most famous current opera singers in the world. It was an experience I will remember until the day I die, without a doubt.

Gesamtkunstwerk. Is all I can say.

Here are some photos of the opera house, which is quite a spectacular building, I must say. Also, you can see pictures of other things that caught my eye around the city this past week.

An interesting juxtaposition of modern and classical sculptures in the Tulleries.

Again, juxtaposition, in Les Jardins de Luxembourg

Art on the walls of the Seine

Monmartre

Paris, from Sacre Coeur

Monmartre artists

The famous Ladurée

AHH DELICIOUS