Plus ça change... By Maximilien PIASTRA & Louise PALLANDRE

New art

Art nouveau

The top photo was taken in an alley off Rue des Gras in the old part of Clermont-Ferrand. We didn’t add any effects because the hues have come out just right. It was taken late in the afternoon; it was so cold that there was nobody in town. We felt alone in the middle of a deserted city. We spent a lot of time finding the right angle because the alley was so narrow. We were getting a bit fed up trying to find a good subject for our first photo so we were pleased to find this unusual spot. What we noticed first was the gloomy blank deteriorated wall and then - big contrast! - the amazing mural.

At the top of the very narrow cobble-stone alleyway is an overhanging street lamp. The wall on the left is covered in colorful street art/graffiti. The opposite wall is plain and somewhat dilapidated. The alley leads to a perpendicular street bathed in sunlight. The house at the top of the path, facing us, has an orange wall. The mural depicts a cityscape full of characters among whom a wide-eyed girl in the foreground, with flashy make up. Next to her, is the figure of a boy standing in front of a closed door and who seems scared. Further up, there’s a headless figure, then mysterious colorful drawings and signs of all sorts, mainly orange and blue. The door in the wall opposite is closed, and the windows boarded up. No one lives there anymore. The ground was wet and dirty.

We have called this picture New art because of the contrast between a contemporary artistic means of expression and the medieval architecture, and simply because the mural seems recent. We have neither the artist’s name nor a date. We like the flashy joyful colors; they lighten up this otherwise gloomy side street. The characters are dancing and playing instruments, simply having fun. The opposite wall is so sad in comparison.

The alley is in one of the oldest parts of Clermont-Ferrand near the Cathedral. Some of the original ramparts have been recently restored. Numerous buildings were knocked down to make way for the Cathedral.

Though today’s street art is not to everyone’s taste, many people approve of it because it attempts to make the walls more interesting and fun. Street art is a way for (mostly) young people to make the environment their own too and the city authorities apparently tolerate new - not always official - ways of decorating the town.

The second photo was taken at the end of a school day, Place Salford, in front of the entrance of Massillon High School, Clermont-Ferrand. We darkened the photo to give the picture a bit of drama! It was very noisy when we took this photo because many pupils were talking on the pavement. It was rainy and cloudy; we felt lost in the middle of this crowd. Though we know this area very well, it was the first time we really noticed this rather handsome old building.

In the foreground, silhouetted against a cloudy sky, is the imposing curious old building, dating from the early 20th century, with a “POSTES TELEGRAPHES TELEPHONES” sign carved in stone. There are three floors. It used to be a post-office with a  telegraph service and telephones. At the end of the 19th century, there were few telephones in homes so people used the phones in post offices, or sent telegrams abroad, or sent letters of course. Today, it is an administrative building for France Télécom.

In the background, we see the grey thundery sky and a building of the Godefroy de Bouillon High School with a much more recent architectural style.

We have called this picture Art Nouveau because the building is reminiscent of that period. This picture is a little nostalgic and a bit mysterious. It evokes the era of the industrial revolution. It has pretty flowery details on the facade and decorative balconies.

Plus ça change… would be an apt title for our two photos, taken as one work of art. Although the appearance of the urban environment may change according to the fashion of the day, the fundamental need for embellishing our city remains: Art nouveau then, new art now!

Parallel worlds. By Ombeline DESJONQUERES & Marie CANAMAS

To tramp

To rest

The black and white photo, taken Place de Jaude, shows Clermont-Ferrand as an average French city: the usual shops, obligatory tramway, busy people going about their business.

The second photo, taken in a narrow little street near Place de la Victoire, shows Clermont-Ferrand as peaceful and secret, different from other places.

We took the first photo on a really sunny and very hot Tuesday afternoon, after school. We were really exhausted and were quite in a rush to take the photo before going to our extracurricular activities. The photo we finally took corresponds very well to our states of mind at that moment. At Jaude, we heard the usual urban brouhaha: cars, buses, the tramway, busy people. We not only smelt the tarmac and filth but also the odour of make-up and perfumes from girls we bumped into.

We took the second photo on a sunny but windy Wednesday afternoon, in the historical district of Clermont-Ferrand. We were really curious and enthusiastic about discovering a whole new area of the city in which we’ve lived for years! We only heard the distant noise of the town and the wind whispering through the trees. We smelt the fragrance of leaves but a sweet odour of cinnamon pastries coming from a bakery as well…

To tramp emphasises the pedestrian aspect of Clermont-Ferrand, the fact that, in many aspects, it is like every other town. It is blurred, adding to the feeling of movement. The tramway is about to cross our field of vision. People tramp hurridly past. Behind them is the dark reflection of a sad seventies mall in the shop front of a boring new shopping mall. The only thing in focus are the sempiternal brand names; globalization strikes again! The first tramline in Clermont-Ferrand, the first to use electricity in France, was put into service on January 7 1890 by the Electric Tramway Company. For us, the tramway is a reminder of the midday rush, when we are crushed by the smelly and noisy crowd. As for the mall, it’s only a place for shopping, which may seem entertaining but actually, it’s really jam-packed and therefore, very exhausting.

To rest contrasts with the first picture, revealing the calm, intimate side of the city. We opted for an "old photo" effect to convey an "out of time" feeling. We left the door frame on the top and left as a frame for our picture, to give a "secret garden" dimension. Past the black wooden door, we catch sight of a patio, bathed in sunlight. Around a table, large dark green metal chairs and white-arabesque-shaped ones seem to be chatting, half-hidden by lush bushes. Above the arch and shadow of the Volvic stone fountain, there is a welcoming half-opened window, red geraniums overflowing from a window box.

What is surprising about Clermont-Ferrand is that there are places that are so different from each other so close by; that is why we finally gave as a common title to our two photos: Parallel worlds. 

There’s a huge contrast between those two photos. The first one represents a scene we could see anywhere in any town. This tramway, this mall, and these people we see so often we don’t even notice them anymore, these brands, they are all the same in the whole world!

But if you take time to go for a walk off the beaten track, you’ll discover charming tiny details that will bring you happiness because they’re so unexpected. The silence, the calm of these labyrinthine streets will make you feel happy and fulfilled whereas the boring town centre conveys sadness and weariness.

The first photo shows a really superficial aspect of Clermont-Ferrand. Jaude, even though it’s a pretty awesome square, is a place where the vast majority goes; therefore it has become common-place and charmless.

In contrast, the second picture presents an unknown part of the city, where very few people go though; it’s a really inspiring and relaxing place.

The first picture evokes at the same time the feeling of speed and weariness, whereas the second one shows the bohemian and quietly welcoming aspect of our city.

Lonely and alone. By Lucie BOURGAREL & Cécile BEY

Lonely lives

Quiet sunset

The top photo was taken at midday on a nippy December Saturday, from the stairs next to the elevator of the Place de Jaude shopping mall. It was raining and busy as usual. There was so much noise: cars, people, rain, and the usual sounds of the city. I felt a little lost.

There are many people with umbrellas; they are in a hurry, going about their business. Most of the time, they are in too much of a hurry to stop and talk, to even look at each other, to enjoy life! To my mind, this picture shows the sad side of living in a big city: stress and solitude. People become self-centred. Lonely lives illustrates this quite well.

The first developments in Place de Jaude were in 1660. A basin and a fountain were erected in the middle of the square. Saint Pierre des Minimes was built in 1663. In 1750, the square became a fairground where horses and wood were sold. From the 19th to the 20th centuries, the square started to become the favorite promenade for the citizens. The theater was built in 1894 and the statue of Desaix was erected in 1848. The statue of Vercingetorix appeared on the square in 1909. In the sixties, Place de Jaude was renovated and a quartier was destroyed in order to build the first big department store in 1890. The Carré de Jaude 2 opened in 2013 after five years of construction.

In Lonely lives, what I like most is the perspective. It brings beautiful “depth”. The natural light is nice too. In the background, we notice a guy walking in a relaxed manner in the middle of the road.

I took Quiet sunset in Pont-du-Château, from my bedroom window. It was around 18:30. I found the light totally beautiful so I decided to take pictures. It was so quiet and calm, there wasn't any noise. Only the wind was blowing. I felt appeased and happy. We can see Docteur Besserve Avenue. In the foreground, we can see the tiles of my roof. In the middle distance, there is the street without any cars. The sky was full of clouds. The sunset gave the photo a beautiful luminosity. There are no clouds in the part of the picture where the sun is setting. It was as if the sun had chased away all the clouds. The photo reflects perfectly my mood. I admire this view every day. The big tree on the right makes me think of a magic tree because it is really huge and when I was a kid, I used to pass every day in front of that tree and it looked like the big magic trees in the fantastic stories that I read. The house behind looks haunted... During the day, the street is really noisy but when the sunset begins, the people start going back home and there are no cars left.

My house was a coaching inn built in the 19th century. There were stables for the horses which transported the mail. Then, the house was redesigned by a wine maker. After this, the house was divided into several apartments. Then someone turned the place back into a house. We can find reminders of the inn in parts of the house, for example: there is a dumbwaiter which was used to take up the domestics’ laundry to the third floor, under the roof.

My photos are contrasted thematically (busy/quiet) and stylistically (black and white/color).

Rows. By Gaspard LAUZIN & Victor VOGE

Grey

Green

The first photo was taken in the Boulevard Lafayette on the 17th December 2015 at about 8am. We could smell exhaust fumes from the numerous cars passing by. The sky was cloudy and there was nobody walking around. It was cold. Even if the weather was not great, it was nice walking down the street.

The second picture was taken in the Jardin Lecoq, near the Boulevard Lafayette, the same day. We were beside the playground. It was a bit windy and the sky was cloudy. The temperature was pretty cold, about 8°C. Usually there are a lot of people in the park but this day, nobody was there.

The Boulevard Lafayette is one of the longest in Clermont-Ferrand. In the foreground we can see the cars on the avenue and at the right a row of trees. On the left is a chapel. This chapel belongs to the Capuchins who live there. We distinguish in the background a lot of cars. The Lecoq garden is located behind the hedge on the right of the image. The Boulevard Lafayette was built in the late 18th century. During this period the city of Clermont-Ferrand built several roads to facilitate the movements of vehicles. It is especially during this time that the Cours Sablon was created. The Boulevard Lafayette is two kilometres long. It links the Boulevard Leon Malfreyt to the Avenue des Landais.

The Jardin Lecoq was created in 1793 by the Abbé Antoine Delarbre. It is named after Henri Lecoq, a famous botanist from Clermont-Ferrand. In the foreground we can see an expanse of green grass bounded on the left by a hedge and at the bottom by a flower bed. In the background, there is a tree. The idea of a garden like the Jardin Lecoq had been suggested in 1745 by the Medical College of Clermont. The Council of the city then gave a site for the garden but no space matched the needs of the botanists. It was on August 9th 1781 that the new garden officially opened at its actual location. The Jardin Lecoq is an ideal place to enjoy nature in the city.

We called the first photo “Grey” (we chose black and white to highlight the more hostile environment). We chose this title because, every day, the Boulevard Lafayette is used by motorists at peak hours and it creates a lot of pollution and the other routes around the garden are in the same case.

The second picture is called “Green” because the Jardin Lecoq is one of those rare places in the city where you can enjoy peace and quiet and a bit of greenery. The garden becomes the lungs of the city. Set against the noisy traffic routes that pollute the city air, it offers residents serenity and the possibility to breathe air with less pollution. It is therefore essential for the wellbeing of locals and tourists.

The name that we have chosen for both pictures is Rows. This is because, in the first picture, we see rows of rushing cars, rows of white lines and trees, etc., and in the second picture we see a hedge-row. There is a pun too: the ecological “row” over pollution in our city. This fight for the planet must begin at the local level (especially in cities). Creating green spaces, parks, is a way to lower environmental pollution.

That is what we wanted to show: the city is a place where people can change things and in this case we can limit the pollution by creating green areas and restricting the space for cars.

Shades of opinion. By Inès LE GOURRIEREC, Manon BOYER & Charlotte GENEIX

City of darkness

City of light

We took the first photo Place de Jaude, in Clermont-Ferrand. We took many photos of our city for the purpose of this essay but we didn’t notice anything special or particular about them at the time; it’s only upon getting home and actually taking a closer look at the photos that we noticed the one above, in which the sky is just beautiful.

As for the second photo, we took it in Paris last year. It was not a staged photograph as we took it by night on our way to a concert in the 18th district.

When we took the photo in Clermont-Ferrand, there was a lot of noise and there were many people around us, but we can’t see them on the photo because of the shadows. I remember that the weather was pretty cold.

The Paris photo was also taken in the winter, so it was cold but definitely not as bitter as in Clermont. By contrast, the street was empty, with no passers-by, no noise at all. That is the reason why this place interested us; it is not common for such a busy city to be so quiet, even at night…

The first photo is a snapshot of the most famous square in Clermont-Ferrand. In the foreground we see many old buildings like the Galeries Lafayette, in the background we can make out the second Centre Jaude, and in the middle of the photo is the statue of Vercingetorix. The photo’s most striking feature is the amazing cloudy-spattered sky. The brightness is so intense that it makes the rest of the photograph look like a shadow.

The second photo depicts an underground car park above which are many lit-up flats. This photo is very dark but the light emanating from the flats and that of the inside of the car park enables us to make out the road leading to the parking lot as well as a large wall on the left.

Funnily enough, these photos don’t reflect our mood at the time we took them; indeed when we took the first one we weren’t very happy and we took the photos without thinking, whereas for the second picture, we were very excited and happy!

We entitled the first photo “City of darkness”, because that is how tourists and people who don’t live in this city sometimes perceive it. People imagine that Clermont-Ferrand is a poor, lifeless city; they believe that Clermont-Ferrand is stuck in the middle of nowhere; there are so many misconceptions about our city!

Our second photo is entitled “City of light”, as Paris is commonly portrayed as the city of love or the city of light and we think that this photo lives up to the city’s nickname because, on the one hand, it’s the light that allows us to see the scene, but on the other hand it’s difficult to say that this photo represents the idea of light as the picture is so very dark! So, for the two photos we have chosen ironic titles, in reference to the cities' epithets.

In the first picture, the element that we can see best is the Vercingetorix statue. Vercingetorix was the victor of the Battle of Gergovia which took place near Clermont. It’s a bronze by Auguste Bartoldi inaugurated in 1903. It has been classified as a historic monument since 1994.

On the second picture there isn’t any specific element that stands out, just a sort of council estate and a gloomy car park.

We are proud of our Vercingetorix statue. Auguste Bartholdi was the man who also made the Statue of Liberty. We are proud to live near the place where the battle took place. In our opinion, our city is beautiful in many ways and it’s what we wanted to portray in this picture.

The second picture is more personal and emotionally charged because we took it when we were going to our first concert and it's a real good memory for us. But despite the memory, we wanted to show that Paris, which is often perceived as being the most beautiful city in the world, can also be sadder than Clermont at times.

The title which we chose is "Shades of opinion". Many people say that Paris is a very beautiful city but when we tell them we live in Clermont-Ferrand, generally people are confused and say "Oh, I'm sorry" like it's a shame to live here and generally those people have never been to Clermont-Ferrand. It depends on your point of view if you like the city or not, on where you live in the city and also if you know the city.

We could say the contrast between those two pictures lies in the atmosphere. In the Paris picture, we feel rather oppressed and uneasy, whereas in the picture of Clermont-Ferrand, we feel almost exalted!

The photos show us views of two cities, their contrasting atmospheres. The picture of Clermont gives a positive feeling because it is a beautiful photo, and people will perhaps want to discover this city because of our photo. The other one, people will feel negative about. It’s dark, and it doesn’t make you feel like going there; Paris is not shown in its best light...

The most beautiful cities are not totally perfect, and the ones you do not know, you often underestimate.

Captivating places. By Maxime GOYER

Bridge with a view

View of a bridge

The top photo was taken in mid-October 2015 in Venice (Italy). I wanted to take this photo because it represents Venice. I chose to take it from this angle because I wanted people to ask themselves “What is the woman painting?” The picture is colourful: blacks, greens, greys. There are no particular photographic effects.

When I took this photo, I heard people walking and chatting. I smelt the sea because Venice is on the sea. It was not too cold. I took this photo at the end of the day and I was a bit bored. During my holidays, we walked all the time…

On a little bridge, we see a woman sitting on a low stool, painting a watercolour on a large sketchbook, probably of the handsome buildings along one of the canals. She’s very concentrated. Fewer and fewer people take the time to admire places like this woman does. She is wearing a blue jacket with green collar, black trousers and leather shoes, black baseball cap, gloves. There’s an open box of watercolours on the ground. In between the railings, we see a house by a canal.

I decided to call my photo “Bridge with a view”, because it shows a bridge which is useful for people wanting a standpoint on the canal. This little bridge connects two islands. Venice is composed of one hundred and eighty islands that are connected by bridges.

I took the second photo in mid-February 2016, during the holidays. I chose this format because I wanted to show all of the Millau viaduct and the landscape.

I heard the cars and smelt the exhaust fumes. The temperature was pleasant but there was quite a lot of wind. There were few people at the rest stop. I felt bored because we had just driven for three hours.

In the foreground, we see a boy taking a photo of the car bridge. He is dressed in blue jeans, red sweat-shirt and a coat. In the middle distance, we can see greenery (hills and bushes) with a little road. In the background is the huge white Millau viaduct. It has seven arches. It was finished on December 16th 2004. This very long and magical construction connects the Causse Rouge and the Causse du Larzac. I call my photo “View of a bridge” because it is of (a boy taking a photo of) an impressive bridge.

The common title for my two photos is “Captivating places” because both the woman and the boy want to capture a scene, an atmosphere, a time and place. The woman does so slowly, the boy quickly. Also, the places they are looking at are obviously "captivating" to them.

The photos, seen side by side, make us think about the contrast in the way people see their (urban) environment. Most of us snap away at our surroundings with our cell phones; should we not take our time to contemplate what surrounds us, to better “see” and understand it (by drawing it perhaps)?

Believe it or not. By Paul ZUBER & Louis MARCHAND

Steps to heaven

Heavens above!

We took the top photo on Wednesday 16th of September 2015 after school. We took it at this angle because we liked the way the two houses on both sides converge to one point: Clermont Cathedral. We made the choice of putting it in black and white to show that it is something very old and religious.

When we took this photograph we didn’t smell anything in particular apart from the odour of the street heat because it was really good weather with a lot of sun so it put us in a good mood.

When you look at the photograph you can see on both sides some houses and, in the centre, Clermont-Ferrand cathedral. We chose to title this photograph “Steps to Heaven” because you have to climb up to the cathedral (symbolically too). The two towers look as if they are pointing the way to heaven.

The street that leads to the cathedral is called "Rue des Gras". The cathedral was built by Hugues de la Tour in the 13th century. The architect was Jean Deschamps. We want to show in this photograph the importance of religion for people living in a city.

The second photograph was taken on Tuesday 28th of July somewhere in France above the clouds in a plane. We decided to leave the photograph with no effects so as to show “reality”.

I (Paul) took this photo going to Ireland to see my family, so I was feeling happy. The photograph is basic. There is like an ocean of clouds with a blue sky and the sun on the top left corner. When I was looking out of the window I just thought it was beautiful and I liked the idea of being above the clouds because we cannot guess which part of the country we are flying over. The title of this photograph is “Heaven's above!” because, as we can see, there is just the sky with the clouds and - surprise! - no heaven, not as it's described in the Bible anyway...

“Believe it or not” is the common title of our pictures. Some people think that there is an afterlife and that there is a new kingdom up in the sky. No one can prove it though... The cathedral shows the strength of this belief.

These photos, for us, conjure up positive feelings regarding our city, because they show that, whatever your beliefs, everyone can practice their religion. Some say the cathedral isn’t nice, that the dark stone is depressing, but we love its majesty!

Familiar places. By Alice COLLINET & Floriska POTTIER

A place to relax

A place to meet

We took the first photo in September at the Jardin Lecoq in Clermont-Ferrand. We chose this format because it shows a large parc, a landscape. The picture brings out the colours of Nature. When we took this picture, we heard the ducks, the fountains in the lake, people talking. The weather was warm and windy. When we are in Lecoq garden, we feel calm. In the foreground, a few ducks and a swan swim on the lake. There are water droplets. In the background, there is a hedge around the lake and several trees. In front of the hedge, there is a little house for the ducks and the swans. The title of this picture is, for obvious reasons: A place to relax. Lecoq garden was originally a botanical garden, created in 1780 by the aptly named Father Delarbre. In the nineteenth century, the garden was redesigned by landscape architect Paul Lavenne. It was named after Henri Lecoq, a local botanist.

We took the second photo on Thursday, September 17th, 2015. It is a view of the Place de Jaude, the biggest square in Clermont-Ferrand. We chose a black and white photo to give a sad atmosphere. The photo was taken in the morning so there weren’t many people in the street. Nevertheless, it wasn’t very quiet: we heard car horns and the roar of engines. The excavations for the construction of Fond de Jaude (1978), the Carré Jaude I (1995) and the Jaude Square II (2009-2010) showed up archeological evidence that Jaude was already an urbanized area in Roman times. It began to be embellished in the 17th century. In the nineteenth century, the square became a promenade for locals. On the east side of the square, an art gallery was built in 1812 and was transformed to accommodate a large theater in 1894. Two monuments were erected: the statue of General Desaix, in 1848, and the equestrian statue of Vercingetorix in 1903. The "Café de Paris", the "Café Riche", the "Grand Lyon café" and the "Café de l’Univers" opened in the first half of the 19th century. The title for this photo is A place to meet, because many people come here every day with their family or friends to shop, go to a café or restaurant, to a movie or even a show (at the opera house).

The common title of the pictures is Familiar places. Our photos show that, in a town, there are places which remain important to the inhabitants. They change a little over time, but their function remains essentially the same: places to meet, relax, exchange. They act as points of reference (landmarks) in time and space for the people; it is only if you know these places well that you can say you are socially integrated...

Big is boring. By Martin HUSSER & Mathis NAVARRO

 

Farmer's market

Fool's bargain

We took the market photo on Saturday the 26th of December. It was in Langogne, a small town in Lozere. This market is located Place du Marché also named the “Halle”. Because it was Boxing Day, there were not as many people as usual. In front of the picture, you can see two men; one is selling something to another one who takes his wallet out of his pocket. On the right of the picture, you can see a table where there is bread for sale. On the left side of the picture, behind the two men, you can see two old women who are selling cheese to another woman. It is mostly goats’ cheese, called “Pélardon” in Lozère. This cheese can be very tasty. You can also see a greengrocer. Beside the farmers' market, you can see white trucks. The trucks are owned by the market stall sellers.  It was at 10 o’clock in the morning and it was very cold. We were a little tired because we went to bed very late the previous night. It was rather agreeable: the good smell of the hot bread and of roast chickens. There is a butcher near the place where they cook the chickens outside. This smelt so good! When there is the market, you can’t take your car, you have to walk and you feel the cold. When you see the path between the stands, you want to discover what there is next. You also meet many people, friends and tourists. Everyone walks slowly, first to look at the stands, second to have a chance to greet acquaintances and speak with them about the latest gossip. It is not the best photo in quality that we took, but it’s the most interesting one. We also think the angle is interesting; you can see the “path” which invites you to enter in the market.

We took the second photo during the Christmas holidays in Brive-la-Gaillarde which is a famous town in Limousin. This photo shows a supermarket. We chose to take this photo in color. That way, we can see distinguish all the parts of the picture like the cars, the colored vegetation, while the car park and the building are grey and sad. We thought the contrast with the first picture symbolic of how business and commerce imposes itself on our lives. We decided to take this side of the supermarket because it is the largest side, showing how big the building is. It represents all supermarkets in general. We were surprised that there were not many cars though it was a Saturday. Usually a lot of people do their shopping on this day. We smelled a strange smell, the one we can smell after a storm. There were a lot of puddles and the air was so damp. The place looked haunted… All the cars are different colors and designs, so we can imagine who owns these cars. For example, the old white car behind the red car may belong to an old person and the red car to a younger one.

Farmers’ market: there is a special atmosphere in a small market. We don’t just take a product, pay for it, and go back home. You walk in an alleyway, smell, touch and taste the products, admire the displays. You buy things that are not useful but you think that they are nice or even beautiful. When you buy something, what are you doing? Are you just giving money? No, of course not, you try to haggle a bit, and then you maybe shake the hand of the salesman, you take the product, and you continue your walk.

Fool’s bargain: this title is a critique of supermarket chains; the products they sell are often of poor quality. Moreover, some people who sell their products to supermarkets don’t take care of their products or of the animals that produce it. For example, hens that produce eggs are confined in small cages.

La Halle of Langogne is a French historical monument created in 1743 by Ambroise Prieuré. It has been a historical monument since 1942. It used to be the place where cereals, leathers, and many other products like chestnuts, oil and wine were sold. Now “la Halle” is the place where there is the weekly local market.

The chain to which this supermarket belongs is E. Leclerc. This brand comes from the name of its founder. There are many Leclerc stores in France but also in several other countries near France like Italy, Portugal and Poland. The first Leclerc was created in 1949 in the North-West of France, in Brittany. Behind us there is a stadium called Amédée-Domenech, we can’t see it in the picture but it’s a big stadium that is mostly used for rugby because there is a famous team of rugby players. It was called like that to honour a French international rugby player called Amédée Domenech in 2003.

When I (Martin) was younger, I went to this market every Saturday during the holidays. I love this place and people who are there. I always buy honey from the same seller and now he recognizes me and my family. I’m very fond of eating a cheese called “Pélardon” and I can only buy it in this market. So this market reminds me all these happy holidays. Because the population of the town is getting older, there are fewer sellers in the market every year.

My grandfather lives near this supermarket and when I (Mathis) was younger I used to run among the shelves with the trolley. I remember well those years passed with my grandparents in this supermarket. Behind this supermarket there is a park. I often went to this place with my grandparents because there are a lot of games like swings. We ate sandwiches that my grandmother prepared in the morning.

We chose as a common title for our two photos “Big is boring” because we think that the small market has a unique history whereas the supermarket is only one among many, all the same. Instead of a supermarket where people are always in a hurry and unhappy with the prices, we prefer a small market with a good atmosphere and a warm welcome.

Where do you prefer to go? To a small and welcoming farmers’ market, or to a sad and unwelcoming supermarket? Do you see the car park of the supermarket, where plenty of cars can be parked? There are only a few people. People go there only to buy things they need. And the contrast is here. You never go to a Saturday farmers' market only to buy things. You go there to walk about and chat. It’s not just a market, look at the picture: people are chatting. It the reason why there are always people in these markets. The supermarket is very different from the market. There are always the same products, and people always have the same idea: “I go to a supermarket because it’s not expensive, you find all the things you need, and it allows you to save time.”

People’s habits changed during the industrial revolution. Instead of going to the local market, they went to bigger and bigger shops where they were sure to buy all the things they wanted. Some cities want to preserve the memory of their past. In the past, people could go to the market to buy everything, but now, it is impossible, in a market, you can’t buy everything, and there are only a few things or old objects or products from local farms.

When we see the two pictures together, we think that city life has brought progress. This progress is good, but it’s not all good; the buildings are not nice, and it is the reason why we think it is worthwhile protecting our architectural heritage.

The feeling the photos conjure up regarding the city is neither positive nor negative. We think that markets are very nice but you can’t live without going to the supermarket where you can find everything you need.

Worlds apart. By Marion POMMIER & Emilie SIMONET

Only benches

Lonely bench

The common title for our two photos means there are different places in the same city that can be very different...

In the top picture, we chose the landscape format because we wanted to include as many elements as possible: the playground, the colourful wooden train, all the empty benches. This captures the loneliness of the place. It was taken in a park, the Jardin Lecoq, in Clermont-Ferrand. It is where we used to play when we were younger.

The second picture was taken in a street close to the Centre Jaude, which is the main square of our city. It is a meeting place, and we regularly go there with our friends. We had not thought about the format or angle; it was an improvised shot. We decided to keep it in colour because the city centre is colorful.

For the first photo, there was only the sound of the falling rain. We do not remember what we smelt, maybe the flowers or the smell of the rain. We felt the water on our skin. It was rather cold. We took this photo after school and we were tired. We felt damp and alone. The weather reflected our melancholy. But it was a little like going on an adventure, rediscovering the place of our childhood. 

For the second picture, we heard the hubbub of the town, with the noise of other people, cars, and the city’s agitation… There was a strong smell of pollution and also the smell of fast food, like chips, boiling oil, because when we were taking photos, it was lunchtime. We remembered it was sunny and the temperature was rather hot. We were happy to take a lot of photos of our town. But when we saw this little girl, we were very surprised! It is strange to lie down like that on a bench. We took this photo because we found this child cute. But afterwards, looking at the picture, we were a little sad to look at all those indifferent people… We were focusing on this girl but there were other people around. We think this photo has meaning...

On the first photo, we see a quiet playground. In the background, there are many benches which are all empty. There is no one in this place except us. There are many trees. The colorful train creates a contrast. There is a variety of colors, including yellow, green and orange. This place is sad. This photo reflects perfectly our mood at the time we took it: loneliness but also serenity in this peaceful environment. We can ask: where are the children? Perhaps they had not finished school yet (plus it was raining a little)...

On the other photo, we see four different-looking people in the city center. There is a man about forty years old. He is crossing the street, he is rather well-dressed with a jacket and a backpack. There are also two women, one who is approximately thirty five and the other is maybe forty years old. And finally there is also the little girl. The first, well-dressed, woman crosses the street at top speed. She passes in front of a second woman sitting on the ground dressed in a tracksuit and wearing a shawl. She is begging near a store. In the middle is a bench. The woman who is walking fast does not look at the poor woman; she is passing by, indifferently. As for the little girl, she lays on the bench as if she was at home, as if the city belonged to her. She wears pink clothes, like any girl of her age. She has a book and is holding a pen. Is she doing her homework? Is she drawing? The woman begging seems to be looking at the little girl on the bench. This little girl might be her daughter. Perhaps, with her book, she is teaching her mother to read or she is doing her homework? Perhaps this girl has no place to do her homework, like her own room. She ignores what is around her. The woman passing by is holding her bag tight over her shoulder as if she is afraid that it might be stolen. The man looks like he is more hesitant; what is he thinking about? It is crazy that people only think about themselves! They only accept to look at what they want to see, the poverty and misfortune of others. But, we do not think that this girl is unfortunate. After all, money can’t buy happiness... Maybe this snobbish woman is not happy in her life. People do not help one another. Will this child make a success of her life?

Jardin Lecoq is five hectares big. It is in the city centre and dates back to 1771. In 1830, Henri Lecoq redesigned the park. In 1852, Mr Ledru made a lot of changes. After him, Mr Sauty added the central basin. In 1859, the plans of the new gardens were adopted, but it is only in 1863 that the work began. In 1865, the work finished with the construction of a heated greenhouse and a basin where skating was allowed. Henri Lecoq was a botanist. After his death in 1871 the garden took his name, and a memorial bust representing him was installed. During the war period, the garden was not maintained, but afterwards, the gardens were slowly rehabilitated. From 1952, a seal (!) made its home in the park and he became the symbol of the garden. And in 1962 a lot of animals were added in the park, like swans, monkeys, ducks and another seal called Banquise. The first one died in 1968 and Banquise died in 1999. Today, the park is still beautiful, with lots of trees and flowers. There are several playgrounds which keep the children happy. Jardin Lecoq is now the heart of our city.

Jaude square is the biggest and most important of Clermont-Ferrand. In this square there are many important spots like the opera house, two shopping centers, the church, the tramway station. There are two statues: the famous Vercingétorix, and Général Desaix. Vercingetorix is by Auguste Bartholdi and was inaugurated in 1903. The Gallic war hero is shown triumphant, because he won the siege of Gergovie which took place not far from here. This event is remembered with pride by the inhabitants. Desaix is at the northern end of the square. This statue was created by Charles-François Leboeuf in 1903 and pays tribute to the General who died in the Battle of Marengo. Jaude means cock in Auvergnat, the regional language. This square has existed probably since Roman times, but it seems that its first buildings date back to the 17th century. It is an important place for the inhabitants of Clermont-Ferrand. It is where friends spend time together and a place for couples and families.

Point of view of Marion:

The first photo expresses solitude, a peaceful world. I am shy and not very sociable. Solitude does not disturb me. I like spending time with my friends but sometimes I need to have time when I am alone, to rest, to think, to concentrate. I crave for these peaceful moments and, for me, this place is perfect.

The second photo expresses injustice and inequality. I hate it; I do not understand why there are so many inequalities in this world, at the level of money but also of religion and nationality. I criticize others, but I am no better; I do not help beggars either... I would like to save the world but I am unable to do so because I am just an ordinary person. This picture reminds me that I feel powerless...

Point of view of Emilie:

I remember when I was a little child I used to go to this place with my mum, my brother and my sister… We liked to go to the playground, to jump around (sometimes fall) and especially, to laugh. We used to take our pushbikes and race and my brother used to win every time. The first picture plunged me back into childhood. I feel nostalgia concerning the play area and I think about the good times spent with my family there.

I often go Jaude with my mum and my sister or with my friends. Whenever you go there, all the time there is a crowd of people and this makes me tired because you do not hear what your friends are saying, only the noise of the other people around you. This is a very commercial place, with lots of shops.

In my opinion, these places are very different and complementary, you can relax in the garden and play with your little sister or brother, and it is a friendly place. And Jaude is more a place where you go and meet friends or go shopping with your family. You can also go to the square and after a ten-minute walk from downtown, you arrive in the peaceful park.

On the one hand, we have the feeling of serenity with this empty place, the peacefulness of the environment, and on the other hand we can see the noisy city centre. The playground is away from the hussle and bustle of city life. We feel like we want to enter this picture and lay on a bench to relax. Everybody is always crowded in the same place but if we take the time to walk, we can find a beautiful solitary place. It is funny to see the huge contrast between two places just a few minutes away from each other. The contrast is very obvious: empty versus busy. The benches make a nice link between the photos. The concrete contrasts with the natural environment (indeed, one bench is made of concrete, the other made of wood). These two photos show a really big contrast: a crowd, restlessness, intolerance, ignorance versus, for the other, calm, Nature, and a place to relax and think, with these deserted benches. Furthermore, we can find a common point with the fact that both pictures are about loneliness, in two different forms. In the same town, there are many different things but if we take time to see the best side and are curious, we can find pleasant places like the one on the first photo. There is an appropriation of the urban furniture. These pictures show the different atmospheres offered by the city and there is an opposition between the different ways of using a bench.

We can say that the children’s world in the park is better than the “true” world, because kids do not pay attention to social differences whereas we are more selfish. 

These photos are a critique of city life. We show the social inequalities and the indifference of some people.

Happy/sad city. By Evan VIALA & Vladik BLANC-BRUDE

Festive fun

Melancholic mood

The first picture, of the Color Me Rad event, was taken on the 4^th of October 2015 in Clermont, in the Place de Jaude, from the middle of the crowd. It is a 5 km charity run followed by a concert. The runners and spectators throw coloured powders at each other. Here, there's a lot of colours like pink, blue, green and yellow!

We took the second picture on the 24^th of September 2015 during our holidays in Paris. It is the “Rue des Chantres” it’s a street of “L’île de la Cité”, in the center of Paris, in the 4^th district. We added a black and white filter to make the picture look “old” and to emphasize the feeling of solitude.

For the first picture, there was a lot of music by Adrien Thomas, a famous DJ. During the event, the weather was hot and dry, we could feel the chalk. During the event, I felt happy because there was good music and particularly because I was with my best friend.

For the second picture, it was a sunny and warm day but there was a bit of cooling wind which made the moment nice and relaxing. Despite that, it felt very curious because there was nobody there though we were in the middle of Paris, maybe because of the distance from the main roads and the lack of security. 

The first picture is of a happy crowd scene with crazy people laughing and dancing and having fun together. Everyone is looking in the same direction. Most are wearing sun glasses and colourful tee-shirts. This picture reflects my mood at the time I took it because this picture represents joy and being in a good mood.

The second picture is dark and rather sad. This silent narrow street is lined with flats. The shutters are closed; you feel lonely here, unwelcome and lost. In front of the balcony, there is emptiness, darkness. It is a melancholy atmosphere.

For the first picture, I gave it the title: Festive fun; I have chosen this title because this picture represents the festive side of the city.

For the second picture, I gave it the title: Melancholic mood; I have chosen this title because this picture represents the feeling of loneliness as well as isolation of the dark side of the city.

Color me Rad, a five kilometre “paint race” (a craze everywhere in the world), is an event that has no winners or prizes, but runners are showered with colored powder, made of food-grade corn starch, at stations along the run.

The second picture represents the “Rue des Chantres”. We can see in the background the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral with its bell tower. The construction of the cathedral, which was launched under the leadership of Bishop Maurice de Sully, spread over more than two centuries, from 1163 to the mid-fourteenth century.

For us, the important elements of the first picture are to see people enjoying themselves with their friends or families, we can see on their faces their joy. The second picture gives you the feeling you get when your friends have let you down…

I have chosen to take as a common title Happy/sad city because it is about the contrast between, on the one side, the lively city which is characterized by fun and color, and on the other side, the abandoned city which is characterized by the dark side and melancholy of the place.

The first picture represents the side of the city with a lot of events and the second picture represents the side of the city which is unknown and mysterious with shadows.

The pictures together say we don’t know the whole city; some places are anonymous and secret and others beautiful and popular.