Choose! By Orane MAUTRET & Léa BAUDRILLARD

Insecurity

Everyday life

The first picture was taken on the 26th September in Rue Prévioté. We added a filter to make the picture look "old". There was no sound and it really didn't smell nice. We were cold and it was a little windy. There was a lot of light above and it was disturbing. We didn't feel safe, we were a little anxious and afraid of getting lost. In this squalid street, with its dirty walls and old shutters, no one can feel safe. Everything we look at (the windows, doors, drainpipes, street lamps) seems to be old, dirty and in need of repair. We gave our photo the title "Insecurity" because what people feel in this dark place is insecurity; something terrible could happen to you and noone would know about it! For us, the paving stones represent the old Clermont, and the old shutters and walls mean poverty; the place has been abandoned by people. When we took the picture, there was a lot of light but the photo is not very luminous...

The second photograph was also taken on September 26th but in Rue des Gras. We added a filter to give "warmth" and to bring out details. The place was noisy and full of life. We could smell food and perfume. It was a little cold but it wasn't windy. We felt safe. There was plenty to look at in the shops. The paving stones are all nicely aligned and clean. The shop windows bring modernity to the street. We entitled this picture "Everyday life" because people are here to do ordinary things: some shopping, meet up with their friends.

The common title to these two pictures is: “Choose!”. It is people's lifestyle choices which determine if they decide to go to a street like the Rue Prévioté or to one like the Rue des Gras. We can clearly see the contrast between these pictures. In the first one, we have a narrow, squalid, dark, abandoned street, whereas in the second, we have a friendly, clean street full of busy people. It shows that people reject the old and prefer the new (or, at least, the modernized).

Today, we do not have the same values as before. We are more materialistic and appreciate large, anonymous, crowds. We have forgotten the old, secret, silent Clermont... Our second picture expresses what cities should be like today: lots of shops which give us the feeling of not lacking anything and people in the streets making us feel safe. We choose progress!