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.