Feelin Good

Ethan Levitas

Francoise photo credit
Back again,
Sorry Ive been missing about a day in beertween posts. Im still trying to adjust to a schedule here where I can include my nap, class, skyping, and drinking AND posting. But I promise to be more diligent about it. SO – the past couple days. FUN and LONG – lets see, yesterday (Thursday) I was finally able to sleep in as the afternoon group was to work in the morning. I took that extra time to enjoy the morning, which was beautifully sunny! I liesurly walked down Rue Saint Jacques to a local Boulangerie and ordered lunch (again all in French!) and felt very parisen walking to the metro and eating on my way to class. I got to class at 1 and instead of class we had the same frenchy tourguide lead us all over the Marais to a couple galleries. Our first stop was the Polka gallery to see several very interesting contemporary photographers. My favorite was Ethan Levitas, his NYC subway pictures and Francoise Huguier and his Kommounalki series of communist Russia and living spaces. So then after that we went to an absolutely beautiful collection at “Maison Europeenne De Ville De Paris.” I cant even describe what I saw there, literally like nearly every famous 20th century photographer. It was really unbelievable, everyone from Avedon, Frank, Adams, Atget, Emmit Gowin, Mapplethorpe, Penn, it was all there. The museum was great, buttttttttt about ½ way through the frenchy women clinged herself onto me and managed to give me a history of photo class on all the greats in about an hour. And well although some of what she said was rather interesting it was IMPOSIBLE to get rid of her. Anytime I tried to go off in another direction she would follow and tell me a long story about this photographer or that. And I felt bad since the entire class ditched her and she was running all over the museum trying to organize us and make sure we wernt lost. So I just went along with it, it was fine, but the work was wonderful to look at.

So after that we all went back to SPEOS, OH but before, we stopped at a little Lebanese’s café and had Humus and Tabolie, and the owner was Lebanese, but spoke really good English. He had worked as a truck driver in the states for like 20 years – so he had been all over. We chatted with him for a while (his name is Samir) and it was really nice. He was a great guy and since the place is only like 2 min from school we will probably go again! So then we walk back to school for our prof. (Anna) to give a lecture to the whole photo school on her work. I really liked it! While she can be spacey at times her work is really beautiful! She does absolutely amazing sculptural work with ladders and her film work was a real treat to look at! Im really glad that I have her next semester, I think I’ll have a lot of fun! THEN after all this we had the SPEOS and RISD 20th anniversary opening. Which was nice, I like wine. And roasted nuts. So that was the highlight of that. (I had already seen the work at risd).

After that long day I was finally on my home ☺ (well my hostel, its certainly not home!). I took a brief nap, I think, and skyped with Minali and the family. And then we ended up just having a relaxed night drinking in the room down the hall. It was a good night ☺. Had to be ready to get up for another 10am lecture at school though, so not too much drinking ;).

Ok, Today, Finally. Today was good, It was a little tedious, disappointing, and Long. But Im happy now (Maybe its this beer that’s helping, but nonetheless, Im happy). I started today as usual, but Im still not used to the whole its not being light out when I wake up thing. Its really been hard. Anyways, got up, missed breakfast (lets be real, Im never going to make breakfast, 7-9am – and all they have are some pathetic croissants and cereal – a good breakfast but Im just never going to make it.) So I got to school around 10:10, and we had a lecture from the guy who started the school about the first photograph ever taken. It was a photograph take by Neicphore Niepce at a chateau in Burgendy (were taking a field trip there next Wednesday!) Anyways the creator of SPEOS also owns the chateau (which he bought and was the first to actually find in the early 90s.) Whats even cooler was he discovered Neipce’s photo lab. The first photo lab ever. With over 4000 perfectly kept specimens of old photography. Everything from dangerous chemicals from the time (1829) to various old cameras that he actually used. Everything, it was soo cool! Like that’s an amazing find.
Anyways, That ended around 12;30 and a bunch of us went out to get some lunch and finish taking some pictures. That was fun, we found this little market in the Marais that was soo cool! And we had sandwiches made by the coolest French guy EVER. This like middle to old aged very spunky guy, I have pictures of him. It took him forever to make them, but they were amazing! And he was so cool. Very lively! The total highlight of my day! But of course every up must have its down. A while later at a café I had placed the camera I had borrwed from Anna on the chair next to me and just as we were about to leave someone was reaching into her purse and accidentally knocked it off that chair. It fell. And the lens mount got dented! At first we thought the focus got knocked out of calibration, but it seemed to correct itself later. Either way I felt so bad, especially since I had just borrowed it and it wasn’t my fault and just I felt awful! I was really looking forward to sjooting with it all trip! Anyways we took it back to Anna, who seemed disappointed, but who also has insurance on all her cameras. So hopefully A) Its not too badly damaged and B) It can be fixed. She seemed to take it well, and it helped me feel better. But I still feel just awful, Im usually very good about things I borrow, but bleh! No Beuno!

So then I came back to the Hostel and decompressed after that whole day, took a quick nap and just came back from dinner. I think we plan on going out to the Bastille tonight and finding some bars. The others said that there are good places around there and being Friday night I want to have a good night ☺

Also, I guess and update on how Im doing is appropriate here. I really am having a lot of fun. And Im really glad I came, I just get homesick every once in a while and stuff. This trip was totally worth it. Im really not trying to produce groundbreaking work here, I just want to work in a lot of different ways and play around and see what fits. I really look forward to our trip to burgundy next week, even if theres no wine ☹ I plan on buying a bottle ;)