Sleepless nights

So we recently went to Avignon and got to visit the Palais des Papes and the Petit Palais. The day trip was really nice because we got to go to another town and do a couple of field trips but also have time to hang around and relax for a bit. I think that the Palais des Papes was probably my favorite place we visited that day simply because the lighting inside of it was so beautiful. I got caught up photographing my friends under that great light as opposed to the architecture and such.  The town of Avignon itself was really quite interesting. It was like a strange medium between Lacoste and Paris in the fact that it wasn't completely deserted but at the same time it wasn't completely swamped with people. I found a lot of the scenery there to be much more inspiring on that particular day than the typical scenery of Lacoste.

Allison, looking wonderful in the tasty lighting of the Palais des Papes

Emily and Emma enjoying the sunshine through the window

Emily

Allison caught slightly off gaurd

Sarcophagi 

The super awesome Jeep on the street in Avignon! This one is for my Dad!

So After Avignon we returned to Lacoste and back to the endless stresses of finals week and Vernissage. I plan to be hanging 4 photo pieces and 2 printmaking pieces.  In addition to getting everything ready for Vernissage I've been working on my Photo Final which is a digital pinhole project. Sara Keith and I built one together and were actually quite pleased with the outcome. I really enjoy shooting this way as well and I think it works well with my concept since I'm trying to capture the feeling of a place and the feeling of being around a certain person. I really like the hazy and dreamlike feel that the images put out. The following images are really just some experiments, but I'm getting very excited about my final images and how they're going to turn out. Even if I have to pull multiple all nighters, I'm glad I'm feeling very inspired. 

My shoes.

Pants Cat and I sitting together

Allison

And the walls crumbled beneath our feet.

On Thursday we visited Oppedes de le Vieux, which proved to be quite a peculiar town. The village is completely ancient and is made up of an interesting mix of ruins in a complete state of disrepair and people who have renovated some of the spaces and continue to live there. The city sits on the the side of the Luberon and the view looking down into the gorge is quite amazing. While the scenery was beautiful and there was much excitement about getting to the top of the city, I found myself distracted by dense trees and cool shade. I ended up racing one of my friends to see who could climb a tree faster, and then we soon found ourselves laying on the thick branches joined by our two other friends just looking at the sky and talking. It may seem odd to be lying in a tree when I'm minutes away from an ancient village, but in a way I feel that this is part of the reason I came to France. I wanted to explore and have adventures at my own leisure. It seems that every time we have a field trip I end up having a more exciting adventure every singe time.

After resting in the tree for a bit, we decided to go up to the cafe in the lower portion of the town. I had brought my fathers old Vivtar Flash, and had figured out it work on my digital camera just earlier that day. So I decided to start experimenting with it. the architecture and ruins were beautiful, but lately I've just been wanting to photograph my friends and the moments we have together. They seem so fleeting, and so impermanent. I ended up really liking the aesthetic that follows and I'd like to keep using the flash.

Allison sipping a coffee at the local Cafe

Myself, enjoying a cafe  creme

Kyle with his infamous camera rig.

Kyle

Derek

Allison

Allison

Sara

Shannon

Memories of Paris and Cedar Trees

So let’s talk Paris some more! In looking back on it I would have to say that my only regret is not having the money or the time to stay longer. It was easy to get frazzled with so much to get done in one day, every day. And trying to see any place in the world in 5 days feels so rushed to me. Nonetheless, the city was great. It was definitely culture shock for myself, but it was still wonderful. Living in Lacoste had made me forget about a lot of the technologies and little things that I’ve become so accustomed too. We had a television in our hotel room and I remember the first thing we did was turn it on, and watch in silence. It was so strange to find myself mesmerized by something so ordinary. I hadn’t realized how much I saw a television every day until it was brought to my attention. 

Out of all the museums we went to, I’d have to say the Musée d’Orsay was my favorite., even though the Louvre held the Raft of the Medusa, along with many of my other favorite works I’ve always dreamt of seeing. However; the Musée d’Orsay had a Crim and Punishment exhibit up. We had to pay to get in because it wasn’t covered with our school ticket, however it was the best euro and fifty cents I’ve ever spent. I was lucky enough to see two Atget prints, an entire section on the Bertillion System with crime scene photos Bertillion took himself. Also they had works by Warhol, Bresson, Giacometti, Grosz ,Goya and Gericault. It was nothing short of phenomenal. 

After we arrived back in Lacoste, a few days later we went on hike through the cedar forest of Bonnieux. It was incredibly beautiful and really a date day to go. Originally we expecting to get rained on the entire time. But we managed to plan our trip around it. I think of all of our little trips I enjoyed the Cedar Forest the most. Perhaps it was the feeling of being so small amongst the tall trees, or even just being out and about with the people here that I have come to love so dearly. Either way, It was very rejuvenating and therapeutic and it helped bring me back down from all the stress for a moment and to just absorb. The sights, the smells, the sounds. It was all so peaceful. I particularly enjoyed climbing as many huge trees as I could and allowing myself to be a young, free spirited little beast again. 

The Poppies are starting to come out, and I get so happy every time I see one. They're my favorite after all.

Freshly cut cedar trees. The smell made me miss home, and the sculpture lab in Atlanta of course.

Beautiful Trees.

More Lovely Trees.

Our Group Photo Afterwards. I used a rock for a tripod.

So on Wednesday we set sail (via bus and train) for Paris. I personally found the TGV incredibly exciting, since I'd never been on a train that went that fast before. We arrived in Paris around 11 AM, and got to the hotel and had time to snoop around for a bit. The first place we visited was visit Pierre LaChaise Cemetery. Unfortunately for me, my camera battery died shortly after our arrival. However, the graves we absolutely beautiful and the layout of the cemetery was amazing. I got to see the graves of Gericault, Delacroix, Nadar  and Jim Morrison. Needless to say, I was super excited! 

In an attempt to take a photo of the beautiful scenery in the cemetery, Aaron made a point to photobomb me.

One of the beautiful winding streets of Pierre Lachaise

I was really interested in the ornate architecture of the cemetery. One of the tombs had these caryatids on the front, and they were so sad and so emotional.

On the way to Jim Morrison's grave, I was shocked to see how many people had deliberately carved into other tombs and graves to lead the way to his burial site. It seemed so awful of them. 

Standing at Jim Morrison's grave was so strange to me. It's been on my "Bucket List" for as long as I can remember. I stood there for quite a while, listening to his music, and it was such a strange feeling to be listening to the voice of someone who is literally in the ground beneath you. It was as though he was so close, and yet so far away. 

And of course I had to get a super awkward photo of myself standing in front of his grave. I looke so elated.

After the cemetery we went to the Musée Européenne de Photographie. Much to my dismay, I wound up hating the vast majority of the work. I was really underwhelmed when I saw that one artist in particular had prints up that were dinged, scratched, creased, etc. I found it hard to take him seriously because it didn't seem to be done in a way that was intentional, it just seemed like he didn't care. I did enjoy a lot of the content of the images, but I started to find myself grasping for reasons to enjoy it. Just as I was starting to be really upset about the museum, we went into the downstairs area and it was almost as though I had gone to a completely different place. The documentary work was phenomenal. Huge panoramic images with foot prints on the floor to show you where to stand. By standing where the artist indicated, I felt that you got the full experience. You saw different angles and received more eye contact from the subject. He had a number of different works up and I intend to look into him even more. Since the rest of my shots from Paris are done in film, I'll have to post them later, as well as continue the amazing stories and experiences.

Inside all of us, is a wild thing

In less than 24 hours I will be getting on a train to go to Paris. I can't help but be excited to the point that it's almost unbearable. I know that we're supposed to be going to at least two photography museums, and I'm so excited for the chance to meet Marc Riboud. It's such a privilege to have to opportunity to be in a place that is so inspirational and has inspired so many of the photographers that I love and have learned about. I can't wait to see if I can find some of the same streets and places that Brassai shot, so long ago. The funny part of it, is that I find myself being more excited about the photography museums we'll be attending than the Louvre. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the Louvre has some photographic works, and I can't wait to go and see some of the master paintings that I have always loved. But I'm ready to see some silver gelatin prints, and works by contemporary photographers that I have always dreamed of seeing in person.

My entire stay here so far has been so much more than I could have ever expected. The work load is intense and never seems to stop. But it's serving as a constant reminder to myself of how much I love being busy and making work constantly. There's also quite a few limitations here with the facilities, and they're radically different from what I'm used to at the campus in Atlanta. It can be quite frustrating at times, but in spite of it I see myself finding ways around it and using more unconventional methods to get the work done. I've really been enjoying scanning my negatives on the flatbed scanner as opposed to the negative scanner. I love how dirty and grainy they come out, with smudges and odd manifestations. I love alternative processes and scratching and messing with negatives, but using the flatbed is almost like getting the best of both worlds. I can get the appearance I want in the negative but I don't actually have to screw up my negative. The only problem is not getting a silver gelatin print from it, but I'm sure I could find a way to make one digitally.

The other day our photo trip was to Fort Le Boux, but when we arrived we weren't able to get in due to the weather. Luckily, I had gone earlier that day for a field trip, but had really been looking forward to shooting in a much softer light so I only have a few photos from my first trip. Since we weren't able to get in, we all split into groups and decided to wander around. I should have known from the start that it would lead to something interesting. We wandered through the woods and found a waterfall running into a pool amidst moss covered trees and soft soil. The next thing I knew we were swimming in it, fully clothed, freezing and howling like dogs. I don't know when the last time I felt so alive was before I came to France.

I really love the direction my work is going in and I can't wait for the next impulsive adventure to arise, even if it means I have to ride in the back of the van again.

Ochre Mines and Ice Cream

We recently went to Rousillion to see the Ochre Mines, and also explore the town. The town proved to be a very fascinating place, seeing as how all of the stucco on the houses are a variation of warm earth tone shades. It was truly a beautiful place. Oddly enough for myself, I had decided to take black and white film to the Ochre Mines, a place known for it's natural color and beauty. So I was then faced with the predicament of making interesting photos in a place known for it's color, without using it's color. I decided to focus more on elements of line, and shape instead of color. I felt that the end result was a success. My images are a bit odd, due to the lack of a film scanner, however, I find myself really enjoying these images and the aesthetic that they received through scanning them. I plan to keep working with them this way.

I also used an antique camera of mine for our recent photo project. It's an old Kodak Vigilante and it's got an aesthetic all of it's own. Normally it uses 620 film, but since they don't make it anymore I have to re-spool 120 film to fit into the camera. It may  seem like a lot of extra work, but it's definitely worth it in the end. I scanned the images on a flat bed scanner and definitely fell in love with the aesthetic. I think it's also helping me to find a direction I want to move in for the future, not only for the projects in this class but for my work as a whole. I can't wait to really start working further with the camera, and seeing how I can push it more. I'd like to start working different methods on actual silver prints as opposed to relying on the scanner to create my aesthetic.

Culture Shock and Fun House Mirrors

The past weekend we traveled to Arles for the day. Our itinerary included several stops to museums, and other sites relevant to the history of the art in the area. In addition to the artifacts and educational visits, there was an additional visit that I had been dreading for the past week. The Bull Fight. A long standing tradition, and an incredibly well known performance. It seems to me that when most people think of  bull fights their mind runs to the sound of the traditional cries of "ole!" and "toro!" while the matador whirls his brightly colored cape in front of the bull. Yet there's much more to this age old performance than many, myself included, know. I'll spare the grizzly details for those who are better off not hearing about it, but I think it's safe to say that it's never  a happy ending for the bull. And what I find even more saddening is the Bull's lack of a chance. I knew it would be hard to watch, but I also knew from the very beginning that I would want to document it. I felt that pushing myself further into uncomfortable situations was crucial, especially since one day I want to be documenting humanitarian issues, as well as wars. The strangest part of it to me, was that for some reason as soon as my eye was staring through my view finder I felt safe. Any moment that I brought the camera down I felt vulnerable. I never realized before how much of a security blanket my camera was for me. I had always read of documentary photographers using it in the same way, but experiencing the fact made me see a lot of things differently. I know that I definitely grew through the experience and now feel that I can continue to document serious issues without completely falling apart, despite my internal heartache. I think my favorite image from the fight is the following one.

The bull had just thrown the matador to the ground after his attempt to pierce his back with a saber. I found it interesting how many people in the crowd got upset, and all of the kids I was with started cheering. It was obvious that we had the bull's interest at heart. 

After the fight we decided to visit a fun house that was in a traveling carnival. I had noticed it upon arrival for the bright Star Wars sign, and being a huge fan of the trilogy, couldn't resist. Much to my dismay, the actual fun house had nothing to dow with Star Wars other than the life size painting of Darth Vader hidden in the mirrors. Nonetheless it made us feel better and gave us a distraction, and I seized the opportunity to take photos. I also treated myself to the largest cotton candy I've ever had afterwards.

I think the images I got from the fun house are an exact interpretation of my actual experience while being lost within the mirrors, and also my internal responses to the gruesome fight I had just witnessed. 

There was also a band playing at the arena when we arrived and I absolutely loved photographing them. Their conductor would dance and sing while conducting them and was really a great subject. I shot about 2 rolls of color film on them, but sadly won't get to see it until I return to the states. I have a feeling the anticipation might just drive me insane. I did get a couple images of them digitally though, and I really enjoy them.