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!
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