Street Art and the MOP

Ernest Pignon-Ernest is French. He is an artist who photographs and creates street art. I think he is fabulous and just gotten to know him recently. I especially adore this work in Naples, one of my favorite cities. I love the way he has combined the street songs of the old women with the sounds of daily life - brings me back to Naples in a heartbeat, one of the most beautiful gritty, dirty, holy places in Europe.

Ernest Pignon-Ernest

EpE says this about his work,  'The aim of the insertion (picture) is both to make the place into a visual space and to work on it's memories, to reveal, disrupt and heighten it's symbolism'. Beautiful words.

With the Month of Photography coming up and specifically The Big Picture these words are very appropriate. MOP is when Mark Sink and his glorious gang wheat paste up not only Denver walls and streets but also connect all over the world with a devious plan to beautify it all. Gorgeous images in black and white will start to appear in Europe, Russia, who knows where else...Exciting stuff.

Mark Sink 

I think it's really interesting to look at this French artist, relatively unknown in the English speaking world, who has been doing this type of street art for decades. I like to imagine the progression of artists he might have inspired all these years. In fact there is a book out with the title "Before Banksy: Ernest Pignon-Ernest".

It's fascinating to read the concept, politics, history behind the art form.

What I know: This is what art can do and does. Inspire.

Personally, I am equally inspired by our Denver scene.

Coming soon. MOP

Twelve ii

Everywhere I look faces are illuminated by the screen of an iPad, iPhone, computer or some other lighted screen. The portal to the rest of the world.  It has a kind of balayage effect that's focused on the chin, nose and eyes that are bathed in it's weird artificial light- the head and hair left out like a darkened halo...

My favorite subject, my daughter, positively glows in it. It's not unusual that I brought out the old Android to capture the screen glow reflecting on her face from the ever present iPad.
Screen Shots.
Her skin and face are a thousand times more glorious in Nature of course but this has it's own reward..

 

In this artifice her vulnerabilities translate onto the camera just as strongly as in natural light and I am interested in that consistency, the heart of which is the skin.  She has a slight greenish tint to her white skin that makes me wild for photographing her. I have been recording since birth. And here is even Mr. Sink's version.
Although she is a most unwilling subject on occasion she gives me a break and indulges my vision.

What fascinates me the most is how light falls on objects and on skin to form contours.  The radiance emanating from skin is not so easy to 'get right' mood-wise. There are props ... Photoshop, digital, hand coloring and other techniques that I don't yet know enough about. Love recording the beauty that surrounds me.  Phone camera's often do the trick  and it's spontaneous   

Pot de Crème & Rosé

At Z Cuisine with the almost teens for a bit of dessert. Pot de crème for them & Rosé for me. Great mother daughter bonding during Spring break. & you know I had to stop at the 'Big Picture' wall and take some quick pics.

The light is so weird on that corner and works beautifully no matter what you do.  I've written about it in other posts and hope you don't tire of the repetition but really, how can you? The huge posters wheat paste smudged onto the west side of the restaurant wall is a project (one of so many!) created by dashing Denver based photographer Mark Sink & has garnered local & international note. Looks, btw, more beautiful with age. Some things do, you know.

 

....street art combined with organic French deliciousness ...Denver really can be quite fab if you know who and where...

More Wall

Photo's by Mrs Peel

The Wall

Hanging out with Mrs. Peel late one night.What else could we have done but....

 Passed from terribly funny conversations with goofy Persian looking boys inside to momentary art shock once back on the streets: the beautifully decorated west side wall right outside the door at Z Cuisine, {courtesy of the MoP mob} (Redline, the amazing Mark Sink).

Tantalizing backdrop, just like the Boulevard St. Germaine cup inside. Groovy moods show.

 The gorgeous Mrs. Peel and I will be hanging out at the wall, our new love object, for the next week, watching the paint dry and kissing passers by.