parisen2019

IMAGES AND REFLECTIONS

PARIS, NOVEMBER OF 2019

Jordi Rodríguez-Amat

The painter, like any other visual artist, has the ability to express visually perceived images in sensitive art works.

I spent the whole month of November 2019 in Paris, and during my tours around the city, I translated, through my camera, into sensitive artistic photographs those images that struck my spirit.

At no time did I wanted to do a photographic report of Paris. Simply, along my walks through the city I captured, by the way of my camera, those images I considered with artistic interest. The images have their own entity and are not subject to the reflections I made later on the places and spaces in Paris. This is why this photographic series called "Paris, October 2019" makes up a set of works that must be considered works of art. I worked on this whole series with a Nikon Coolpix 5400 digital camera and later worked them on the computer.

We must say that photography is a tool of artistic creation. It is the perception of the artist that determines photography. The camera is nothing more than a way of reproducing the perception of the creator. Obviously, we need to know the tool and all its features to use it correctly. Any place, be it natural or urban, has the possibility of being perceived artistically. It is the artist who knows how to see, and in this case, the photographer creates the work.

Paris, with all its features, has allowed me to create this photographic series. It must be said that I have not gone looking for a photograph, as who is going to find mushrooms. On the contrary, the eye, always attentive, I have captured those images that, at a certain moment, have pierced my spirit.

Paris is a cultural and artistic world, and these images and reflections can only present a limited aspect of Paris. I must tell you that, despite having visited the great number of museums that Paris has in these reflections and images, I did not want to deal with this subject due to the impossibility of even doing a partial treatment. That's why these thoughts and pictures are a limited view of my one more stay in Paris.

I have analyzed certain aspects of some photographs, dealing with the most important values. In order to better understand everything I present, you need to read the texts carefully.

THE SEINE

The Seine

The composition of this photograph is determined by the directional lines of the ships and the lateral wharves. The bridge reduce the strength of these lines while keeping the composition balanced.

Closing a bit the eyes, the images lose certain details, and we can evaluate much better the lights and the shadows of this photograph.

The shadow to the right down and the trees on the left, with their darkness, frame the light that takes the whole picture.

SORBONNE SQUARE

Intimate photograph.

The lack of contrasts due to the rainy day allows the chromatic unit of the whole group to achieve sensible values. The few people and the cars break the solitude and give humanity to all the space.

The day, the temperature and especially the states of spirits determine the evaluation of the visually images captured to be shaped by means of the camera.

The camera does not make the picture. The camera takes the images captured by the artist's eye.

Sorbonne Square

One of the nerve centers of the Quartier Latin.

Every time I go to Paris I settle in the Quartier Latin.

Sorbonne square

A SUBWAY STATION

Subway station

This image, taken at a subway station, is characterized by the lines of directional force determined by the tracks and platforms. The curve at the end of the tracks compensates this directional force.

The darkness of the tracks is reinforced by the luminosity of the platforms.

Any place, it does not have to be a space or building characteristic of the city, allows to create images with purely aesthetic values.

If you would like to see a study on perspective, click the following link:

www.rodriguez-amat.cat/escrit-3en.html

THE GRAND PALAIS

The Grand Palais is a nineteenth century building built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition.

Its structures have allowed me to create a photograph without any other formal element than geometry, so that the artist has sought, solely, to combine the beauty of the curved lines.

The Grand Palais

SAINT JACQUES TOWER GARDENS

Saint Jacques Tower gardens

This image was taken at the Tour Saint-Jacques Gardens near Châtelet.

The camera and the computer are both tools at the service of the artist.

Once Rodríguez-Amat captured this picture with his camera he worked it on the computer.

He wanted all the attention to fall on the two characters and, obviously, on the bench they were siting. To do this, he removed all the vegetation that surrounded the whole and distracted, according to him, the images he wanted to reinforce.

The shadow that produces one of the characters on the bench is an important element of this composition. With the action of eliminating all the vegetation the backlight is even more reinforced.

The lines of the bench give directional sense so that the viewer places their eyes on the two characters that, evidently, are the most important formal elements in this photograph.

CHAINED IN THE SEINE

This photograph conjugates and explains the meaning of the padlocks on the left of the image, with the symbolism represented by the Seine to the right for those who want to express a solid union.

A priori it is possible to consider, only taking into account the images, that the photograph is totally decompensated. What it does that the composition is balanced are the symbolisms, both the padlock on one hand and the Seine river on the other hand.

Padlocks image is far more defined than the river itself. Rodríguez-Amat, conscious of the meaning of the padlocks, focused with his camera the foreground leaving less clear the image of the background.

This double meaning - the padlocks and the river - allow the viewer to pass the view from left to right considering the two meanings, always but dominating the padlocks.

Originally the photograph was taken with a large horizontal format but to avoid the domination of one meaning over the other, a part of the right of the photograph was cut.

Chained in the Seine

MONUMENT TO JEAN MOULIN. CHAMPS ÉLYSÉES

Monument to Jean Moulin. Champs Élysées

Jean Moulin was a French national hero. President of the National Resistance Council, Jean Moulin was detained by the Gestapo and tortured. He died on July 8, 1943.

In Paris, in autumn, time is very variable. This photograph without lights and powerful shadows fits in with the characteristics of the monument.

Regardless of the symbology, we find a very intimate photograph dominated by a first flat foreground below the photograph and the verticality of the five pedestals located in the background.

Despite the day without sun, due to the clouds, the artist wanted to capture the pillars of the monument from the back because of its darkness.

We observe how the bottom (the lawn) is darker near us and it clarifies as it moves away. Rodríguez-Amat achieved this effect by placing his camera in a place where some trees that do not appear in the photograph produced this shadow.

SAINT GERMAIN DE PRÉS: THE CAFÉ DE FLORE AND LES DEUX MAGOTS

Boulevard Saint Germain de Prés has, very close to each other, the two most famous cafes in Paris: Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. Since their beginnings, these cafés have been frequented by the literary and artistic intelligentsia of Paris.

In the Café de Flore you could see, among many others, Jean-Paul Sartre, Guillaume Apollinaire, Louis Aragon and artists such as André Derain, Picasso, Giocometti etc.

Les Deux Magots, the favorite of Albert Camus, Jean Giraudoux and many others in the world of arts and letters.

Who could have attended the many social gatherings that have taken place there!

Despite looking for photographs with pure artistic values, these two, in addition to these values, have the strength motivated by the importance of places.

HUCHETTE STREET

The rue de la Huchette is one of the streets of the Latin Quarter. Although it is a small street, it is one of the typical streets of this neighborhood, mainly due to the large number of small restaurants, Greeks, Lebanese, etc. etc. that are found there.

It is in this street where we find the theatre of the Huchette where, since February 1957, Eugène Ionesco's "La cantatrice chauve" is uninterruptedly represented.

It is at dusk when the street becomes busy. It is also one of the streets, next to the Boul Mich, where Rodríguez-Amat usually make his walks at night and in one of the many restaurants took one of the typical dishes that are offered there.

The red color of the photograph is determined by the fact that the photograph has been taken without flash and the camera adapts the luminosity using the red electromagnetic waves which are those of greater length. Rodríguez-Amat could have changed the color with the computer, but he preferred to maintain this chromaticity.

Huchette street

THE THEATRE OF THE HUCHETTE

The Theater of the Huchette is one of the great little theaters in Paris.

This theater is located on Huchette Street in the Latin Quarter.

Amb Ionesco en el Théâtre de la Huchette a Paris.

La Cantatrice Chauve és una autòpsia de la societat contemporània a través de comentaris ridículs i banals fets per dues parelles.

It is here that, since February 18, 1957, one of the great pieces of contemporary theater has been performed continuously: "La Cantatrice Chauve" by Eugène Ionesco. In 2013, when I last saw it, it had already been performed over 18,000 times and is still performing today.

In 1964 and 1965, when I was lucky enough to be in Paris, I lived in the Latin Quarter not far from the rue de la Huchette where, even today, there are small restaurants where you can eat for a very reasonable price. There was a gentleman around the corner who served fries with sausage for a franc and a half.

Then, in addition to contemporary art, I became deeply interested in literature and theater: the Odéon, the Comédie Française, the Théâtre du Châtelet, among others, were places I frequented. Half an hour before the start of the performance and for a franc and a half we could have seats that had not yet been sold.

When I go to Paris, these theaters are always places where you can find me.

THE SUBWAY

The subway

Any place could arouse the attention of the artist. In this series of photographs of Paris, Rodríguez-Amat did not look for places or pleasant subjects to satisfy the spectator, on the contrary, he always was interested for the esthetics. Rodríguez-Amat tipped the camera to break the verticality of this inner subway car. It is clear that, before taking the photograph, you need a visual perception of the subject and know what the result will be like. All this process can be slow or on the contrary it can be very fast, because the place or the subject can change in a few seconds.

This photograph was taken without flash in order not to illuminate the elements of the foreground since, consequently, the others would remain in the absolute darkness. Due to not using the flash, the photo was later clarified with the computer as the image would have been very dark and the elements represented in the background would not have appeared clearly.

Although it seems to be a very simple subject for the viewer, it is necessary to try to see the artistic values - forms, lines, composition, lights and so on - which undoubtedly has this photograph.

This photograph is a clear example that any subject can be captured with artistic values.

PÈRE-LACHAISE CEMETERY

El cementiri del Père Lachaise

Père-Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris and one of the most famous in the world.

Many famous people are buried here.

Walking through this cemetery is like dialogizing with a truly extraordinary cultural world.

Here we find the graves of Molière, Jean de La Fontaine, Frédéric Chopin, Édith Piaf, Yves Montand, Honoré de Balzac, Guillaume Apollinaire, Georges Moustaki, Paul Eluard, Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Jean Racine, Alphonse Daudet, Marcel Proust, Alfred De Musset, Eugène Delacroix, Camille Pissarro, Oscar Wilde, among many, many others.

Here you see me at Frédérique Chopin's grave.

To listen to the Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9 no. 1, press the following link:

VNOCTURNE IN B FLAT MINOR, OP. 9 no.1

THE TUILERIES GARDENS

The Tuileries gardens is a large park between the Concorde square and the Louvre.

In this photograph Rodríguez-Amat wanted to combine the lights and the shadows on the floor with the verticality of the trees. To do this photograph he hoped that in the foreground would not have been people in order to capture with more clarity the lights and the shadows. Closing a little the eyes you will see much better the effect of lights and shadows. The fact of closing a little the eyes allows to lose many of the details that are in the photograph and so appreciate much better the lights effects.

The tree placed in the foreground is a representative sample of the large number of trees that are found in this park.

Certain colors of the leaves of the trees show the time of the year in which these images have been taken: autumn.

The Tuileries gardens

THE SEINE AT NIGHT

The Seine at night with the Eiffel tower

Night photography always generates enigmatic sensitive states.

Closing a little bit the eyes we see how images (objects) become imperceptible so that in the dark appear only bright spots.

If we do not want to capture the shapes and lines and limit our perception to the lights, we find a horizontal composition with vertical elements determined by the reflections of the lights on the water of the river. Due to the fact that we only find the form of the lights and that the lines and other forms do not take consistency in this photograph, we should not do any other compositional analysis than the determined by the lights.

Chromaticity in this photograph is limited to a few colors without much relevance, since, in the absence of light due to nighttime, electromagnetic waves are not reflected. In this particular case, only a couple of colors appear. The lights take a certain yellow color because yellow is a light color.

It is clear that the viewer has a tendency to search and recognize everything that is represented, being that they are also elements of this photographic composition. The images of the objects represented are elements of this photograph and must be considered.

THE TUILERIES GARDENS

The Tuileries Gardens has been one of the places where Rodríguez-Amat used to go for walks in Paris.

In this park are many sculptures, from the time when André Le Nôtre designed it, seventeenth century, as sculptures by 20th century artists.

Rodríguez-Amat wanted the trees to take special importance and looked for a place where no people or sculptures were found to emphasize the large number of trees in this park.

Due to the simplicity of the subject and to give an enriching element to this photograph, he leaned the camera in order to break with the verticality of the trees.

Simple and non-manipulated photograph with the computer.

Tuileries gardens

TWO PHOTGRPHS "LA SEINE" BRIDGES

Little bridge

On the Tornelle Bridge (Notre Dame in the background)

THE SEINE AT NIGHT WITH THE MOON

The Seine at night with the moon

Looking carefully, we can see that it is the River Seine, although the artistic elements of this photograph is limited to the lights.

Here we have another example that to eliminate all the details and see the essence of the photograph, we have to close a little the eyes so that only the effects of the lights appear.

If the artist had unfocused the images that we find here, the representation of the place would have been lost and there would have been some purely abstract stains, which is exactly what happens when we close a little the eyes.

The moon is a purely anecdotal element.

ANOTHER IMAGE OF THE TUILERIES GARDENS

Another image of the Tuileries gardens.

In this photograph the verticality of the trees is maintained, since the earth being a horizontal element, important here, is combining with the trees. If the camera had been inclined, the photograph would have lost its stability.

The situation of the photographer's point of view has determined, not only a certain symmetry with a vertical axis just before the spectators, but also with one-point linear perspective. The lines of the small path on the ground are directed towards the one-point perspective. Some imaginary lines determined by the base of the tree reinforce, even more, the directional force towards the same point.

The brightness of the sky and the left side on the ground allow to contrast the dark colors of the trees.

Chromaticism is limited to the cold colors of autumn weather.

The Tuileries gardens

HARPE STREET

Harpe street

The rue de la Harpe is also a street in the Quartier Latin, which, like the rue de la Huchette, is next to the Boulevard Saint Michel.

The artistic characteristics of this photograph are very similar to those of the rue de la Huchette. Here is a direction of the street that, by turning left, prevents the composition from breaking down. The artist does not determine the characteristics of the street, but he is the one who decides the point of view. Photography, like any other visual arts, requires specific reflections to do the work.

The chromatic features would be very different if this photograph had been taken in the middle of the day. Think that photography is the image achieved through light (photo = light, graphic = image).

The buildings on the left have much more compositional weight than the ones on the right but the composition is compensated by the curve of the street.

If we do the exercise to close a bit our eyes in order to avoid seeing the details, we see that the clear spots, that is, the lights, are completely balanced.

THE COMÉDIE FRANÇAISE

The Comédie Française is considered the French national theatre. It is also called "La maison de Molière".

It was founded by Le Roi Soley (Louis XIV) in 1680.

It's one of the places you can find me when I'm in Paris. This October 2019 I was able to see one of Molière's most important pieces: Les Fourberies de Scapin.

	The Comédie Françaises (loges and ceiling panel)

Les Fourberies de Scapin

I leave it to you to do the plastic analysis of the photographe

SAINT MICHEL BOULEVARD

There are many factors that may be involved when deciding to capture an image through the camera. One of the most important is the aesthetics of the place, considering the lights, space, perspective, among many others. But there is another very important one: the artist's affection for the place. (Do not forget that a photograph can be an art work, although any photograph does not have to be artistic).

This photograph was captured by Rodriguez-Amat for two important reasons. The first one for aesthetics; Lack of strong contrasts on a rainy day, a one-point linear perspective, etc. But another one, also important, was the affection of the place. Here, we are at the Boulevard Saint Michel, many people call it the Boulmich. Every time that Rodríguez-Amat has resided in Paris was in the Latin Quarter (Le Quartier Latin) and every time also around this boulevard.

On the left side of the photograph we see the famous Lycée Saint Louis but on the right, without any importance as the composition of the photograph, we find a cafeteria whose name is: Prêt à Manger. It is in this cafeteria where every day, just before going on his cultural tour, he has taken his breakfast. It is a cafeteria that, due to its characteristics, you can have breakfast and with a book or a laptop spend a couple of hours, surrounded by people of a certain cultural level that allow you to establish conversations.

About this photograph, the artist asks the spectator to do his own analysis: chromaticism, composition, perspective, feelings that it can generate, etc. etc.

Saint Michel Boulevard

IGOR STRAVINSKY SQUARE

Igor Stravinsky square

At the Igor Stravinsky square next to Pompidou Center, there are always small improvised shows.

The first impression was to see the conjunction of the pond with the sculptures and the children playing with soap bubbles. At the right side and also at the left side was public watching this small show but the photographer limited the image just with the aforementioned elements without considering the audience.

The gleaming floor, from this chosen point of view, makes the boys and girls stand out for the clarity of the ground. The fact that the buildings and the pond with the sculptures involve many formal elements combines everything with the children in the foreground.

We have to see this photograph with all the formal elements represented as a whole. In order to maintain the conjunction of all the elements represented, this photograph has not been manipulated with the computer and the image has only been taken with the camera.

As in many photographs, paintings or other works of art, if you close a little your eyes, some details disappeared so that you can better contemplate the light values and contrasts of the photograph.

SORBONNE SQUARE

We find here images without any human element. The beauty of this photograph, according to the artist himself, is the combination of the chairs with their prominent reddish colors and the colors of the floor and the tables, as well as the curved lines of the chairs, combining with the straight lines of the tables.

We ask the viewer to perceive the photograph by placing himself at the moment and the sensitive state of the artist when he perceived the images he captured with his camera. A photograph is always the reflection of a sensitive state.

The rainy day with small drops of water reinforces the sensation of coldness, contrasting with the warm colors of the chairs.

Sorbonne square

THE SAINT JACQUES TOWER

The Saint Jacques tower

The Saint Jacques tower is the rest of a medieval church destroyed in the 18th century.

This photograph, taken from a point of view from the bottom, combines architecture and nature. Architecture has been made by man, while nature, many will say, is the creation of God.

The simplicity of this photograph is one of its artistic values. To enrich the image Rodríguez-Amat analyzed the different possible points of view, but all of them with the intention of combining the two elements: nature and architecture. He also considered the brightness of the tower with the darkness of the branches and leaves, which reinforce the light of the background.

ONE OF THE DOCKS OF THE SEINE RIVER

While walking towards the Louvre at one of the docks of the Seine river, Rodríguez-Amat saw these images with the "Pont des Arts".

A first analysis allows us to see that the luminosity of this photograph is given by the shadows of the foreground. Without this shadow the whole space would have taken the same light and the whole would have lost the strength it has now. Although the light comes from the sky, at first glance it takes more values of visual attraction the part where we find the images.

It is an oblique perspective with two-points-perspective, one of which is much more important than the other one; the point towards the right. The two lines of the pavement and the imaginary line determine by the upper parts of the lanterns are directed to this point.

Although we do not see the docks of the river, these would also go to this same point. The line that follows the upper part of the buildings has the same point perspective since all these lines are parallel. Parallel lines always have the same point-perspective.

Much more difficult to see is the direction of the second point from this oblique perspective. The bridge (Pont des Arts) is perpendicular to the lines of the docks and although it does not take as much importance follows the other direction. The two points, obviously, are located on a hypothetical line that we call the horizon.

A photograph, independent of light, has many linear values.

One of the docks of the Seine riwer.

The poet and singer-songwriter Georges Brassens in one of his many songs sang "El Pont des Arts".

iIf you want to see and hear him sing this song, click the following link:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWjtota81Xo

The Pont des Arts crosses the Seine connecting the Institut de France with the Louvre Square.

SCULPTURES OF NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE AND JEAN TINGUELLY

Stravinsky Fountain

This photograph demands some attention from the viewer in order to control its formal content.

The sculpture of the right, painted with vivid colors, takes more attention, but the support structure of the sculpture in the form of a head counteracts that attention thanks the light that have the metal elements and the situation in the foreground.

Rodríguez-Amat could have reinforced with the computer this last sculpture and also amortized the details of the bottom and water, but he preferred to maintain the visual vibration that has the whole set, including the water.

The sculptures are the work of the artist Niki de Saint Phalle and the structures and technique for the water pumps of her husband Jean Tinguelly.

IN THE STRAVINSKY FONTAINE

In the Stravinsky Fontaine

CENTER GEORGES POMPIDOU (LE BEAUBOURG)

	I am thinking, if there is no force majeure that prevents it, between November 2024 and February 2025, to spend a month in Paris. To be determined which month. If there is someone who wants to accompany me, contact me. I speak english. It must be someone interested in art (museums), literature (theatres), culture in general.

	To the contemporary art center Rodríguez-Amat		www.rodriguez-amat.cat/ind-en.htm
	You can visit, between the beginning of April and the end of October, without any kind of commitment, the Rodríguez-Amat Contemporary Art Center and I, personally, give all kinds of explanations. Need to make an appointment: Mobile 697 76 18 74.

Visiting this website you can also see many works of my artistic creation

www.rodriguez-amat.ca/ind-en.htm

and if you are interested in one of my works, contact me

Mobile: 697 76 18 74.

centre-art@rodriguez-amat.cat