Monday, March 30, 2009

Galerie Impaire






A new exhibition is up at the Galerie Impaire, the galerie started in association with the Center for Creative Growth in Oakland, CA. The 2-person show includes work by Donald Mitchell, an artist at Creative Growth paired with a contemporary artist, David West.

Mitchell makes wonderful drawings that present various little faces and figures in various floating formations. The forms look re repetitive but in fact they are always slightly differentiated and never repeated. They work is very graphic and a major stretch of an analogy could be made to Jean Dubuffet. The drawings are rendered in a frenetic manner, often overlaid with watercolors or acrylic paint, though most are black and white. David West's work is slightly varied-figurative imagery mixed with landscapes-mostly paintings, very colorful. Make sure to look at the wonderful store attached to the gallery space full of little treasures made by Creative growth artists. 47, rue Lancry 75010. galerieimpaire.fr

Saturday, March 21, 2009

springtime hoorah







One glorious week of sunshine in Paris. It may get chilly again but spring is here...

Thursday, March 12, 2009

MERCI








Merci could be seen as a anti-crisis endeavor. It may--read is-- a reflection of the new retailing times that seems to consist of unique, "curated" concept-esque stores that provide a new type of service and aesthetic. As we know, the big banks and big names are failing-leaving it to more individualized business to perhaps start the new market going. I am no economist, but Merci was certainly thriving with people throughout its huge, 1500 sq. meter space--formerly a wallpaper factory, on blvd. Beaumarchais in the 3rd.

Founded by Marie-France Cohen, the founder of children's luxe brand Bonpoint, Merci includes on the front end, a gorgeous flower shop and a warm cafe surrounded by books. The interior space is a 2-floor shopping fun house filled with things from a special line of artisan parfumer, Annick Goutal, designer vintage threads, a small fabric shop for the crafty-types, and small collections by mens, childrens and womens designers including Isabel Marant, Stella McCartney, APC, Paul Smith, Bonpoint, and others; a house and home section that stocks crystal chandeliers as well as colored glassware, a whole range of chairs, tables, etc. Here is the catch. Mde. Cohen, who made such a good deal on the sale of Bonpoint some years ago is not in the business now to make a new retail empire. Rather everything sold at Merci is given to charities that support impoverished children around the world. It functions as a non-profit. It is truly a feast for the eyes and wake-up call to shoppers who can feel perhaps less guilty about spending some money! Merci: 111, boulevard Beaumarchais 75003. 01.42.77.00.33

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Funny




This is the promotional poster for French comedian Thomas Ngijol. He is hysterical. A bit dry and biting but pretty good and I love this image. I saw him once on the Grand Journal on Canal+. He came on to do his routine on a day when Sarkozy was the invited guest and before he started he went up to le president and showed him his legal french papers...just to clarify and issues or concerns he may have, Ngijol said. It was great.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Zoum-Zoum




Zoum is my new favorite sneaker shoe store. I am probably one of the last to know of it, but better late then never. There are several locations around Paris-I stumbled upon one in the 12th and came out with a sweet pair of Tiger hightops with orange laces. It was an impulse buy and I must of thought I was 21 in terms of the style I picked, but whatever- for 50 Euros they'll go a long way. I know there is one in the 9th, south of Pigalle, in the 18th and the 17th as well. I can't find a website tho.