Paris, France

Just over a week left in the trip. Most of my information has been collected, now I'm running around getting some decent night photos as well as redoing day photos of anything I shot in overcast skies. Contemporary architecture is monochromatic enough, it needs all the help it can get.

After searching for a decent competition to base my project off of and failing, I've decided that I should not base my thesis in Paris. It would be hard enough to get site information and decent photos, and I wouldn't have acess to the site if I needed to go back for anything. Right now I'm rethinking the thesis end of this, and am now thinking that if it does follow up this bit of research I should do a "french" project along the east coast in the US. For example, a Franco-American art museum in Washington DC or New York. This gives me the added opportunity to raod test a few of the ideas I have developed here to see if they're valid outside of Paris or Europe, and revisioning Washington DC as a hybrid-Parisian-exquisite corpse may ellicit some interesting parallels to the physical urban environments of each, yielding what would essentially be a museum designed specifically for its context. And, since this whole crazy experiment began by searching for a relationship between contemporary architecture and its context, everyhting seems to meld together at the last moment. This is all rhetoric at this point and I still need to pitch it to possible critics, but for now I think that this route will yield an overall stronger project.

So for the next week I'll continue getting the last of my photos in line, and follow up on some final information concerning the METRO system, a few of the Grands Projets, and an interview, rescheduled for the day before I leave.

Paris, France

The weather is breaking a bit here. Today the sun actually came out! I was at the Parc de Buttes Cahumont when it happened, sitting atop the rocky precipice with a fantastic view of Sacre Coeur in the distance when it happened. Unfortunately I was dressed for gloomy weather - jeans and a black shirt - and so I couldn't stand to vask in its glow for long. However, it's good to see the sun again, I hope he sticks around for another two weeks. It's amazing what an overcast gray cloudy background does to contemporary architecture in a photograph.

My interview with Christope Lab this morning was rescheduled due to them being in the middle of a competition, and no one speaking a lick of English. Of course I, dropping the ball, cannot even ask my questions in French. So we're rescheduled for the 10th, interpreter and all. That meeting too may be cancelled, and the interview may have to be done via internet, which I'm not to happy about, but will work if needed. Other than that it's been a few slow days here. I'm going to map out some night routes to get some night shots of a few major works before I skip town in less than 2 weeks, which may compensate for an otherwise washed out series of graytone photographs. I've been using saturation filters way too often.

Paris, France

A bit of a break in the weather allowed me to get a full day in. Mostly now I've been running around town, cramming for my interview on Saturday. The trip has taken me to parts of Paris I have yet to go to, and even more of a chance to gauge an objective view of the city.

With 2 weeks to go I'm working on getting some final pictures of a few projects around town...and about 10 drawings left, thanks to a bout of bead weather (and being locked out of the Musee du Quai Branly 3 days straight). Once the interview is completed I'll have a bit more time to devote to getting drawings finished. I had originally planned on having three more essays completed before leaving but now I think that decent starts will have to be enough...they've been difficult to crack into and as usual I'm not quite pleased with the level of thought.

Paris, France

For starters today was nice because I got a meeting with an architecture firm in Paris scheduled for Saturday, so now I have 8 essays and an interview. Then today all went downhill. I went to the Musee du quai Branly to draw it, and I got about 2 minutes into the drawing and it began raining, so I packed up, left, and took the 20 minute train back to my apartment and made lunch (that also blew up on me....another story, another time). Later in the afternoon I looked outside and it is sunny and dry, so I pack up my things and take another 20 minute train to the site. I get there, set up, and before I can erase all the lines I drew in the 2 minutes I drew that morning, it began raining again! So that set me in a bad mood.

Paris, France

Despite some wicked weather I am plugging along on drawings, having completed two yesterday and one today, and another 2 scheduled for tomorrow, weather permitting. In addition, I have at least some ideas for another three of the essays, getting us up to all but 1 or so that have some sort of concept or direction. My rain delay alternative for tomorrow is to begin writing about the fabulous souterrain, the underground of Paris. Mostly I'm focusing on the Metro system and its natural ability to be very disorienting, and how it represents itself (via maps, etc.) in a completely different way. But this could use some beefing up. As with most of the essays, they've become observational and really lack any new ideas or putting forth any arguments, which is not what I wanted from them. But I have all next semester to make sense of them. I'm basically here to collect information. I'm currently getting my hands on some CATIA models of the major subway stops, without the groud. They're surprisingly well ordered.

Paris, France

Thqankfully, a day of decent weather descended upon Paris, and great timing. I ended up walking the most today, covering a good portion of the Left Bank from the Latin quarter to the Eiffel tOwer, then across to the 16th back to the Champs-Elysees. Despite the touristy locations, my focus was on 5 buildings, 2 of which I was able to draw (Musee du Quai Branly will have to wait, a major portion of the gardens and my drawing spot were sealed from the public). Hopefully this weather stays with us, as I have quite a bit to work on. I'm down to 2 weeks now. Kezia, the other Nix fellow just got into town, and hopefully I'll be able to meet up with her soon. I'd like to run my ideas for my essays over some people, preferably before I leave town in 2 weeks, in case there are changes/photos I need to take.

2 weeks. Let's see how we do...

Paris, France

Tonight is the festival of music, so I will make this short. There is much to celebrate.

For one, I have passed the halfway mark on a paradoxically fast and slow trip. The weekends drag by, but the weeks, well, it's already Thursday. In the meantime I have finished a second essay on the so called "tent phenomenon" of some 550 tents that have been donated to the homeless of Paris. The move has of course brought alot of attention to the subject of homelessness, but form my perspective it introduces interesting juxtapositions against Beaux-arts stone architecture.


There is also something interesting about "urban nomads", entire communities that can pick up and go at the command of a police officer. And, it goes without saying, the idea of urban nomadic communities has also piqued my interest. Entire subcultures, unabashedly setting up camp in the shadows of Notre Dame and the Centre Pompidou.



So as we've crossed the halfway point, we're getting to the point where things are beginning to fall together. I have 3 more essays and, God willing, an interview to conduct before I leave town in 2 short weeks. When I'm back I'll have another 2 or 3 essays to write form the comfort of my own home, as they need little more from me at this point than photo documantation to go along with the text.