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Oct. 8, Tuesday: Starbucks, Nice Etoile, Contemporary Art Museum, Place Garibaldi, Making Art

It is Wednesday morning at 10:20 a.m. and I just finished and published the blog post for Monday – phew! What a struggle! I’m going to stay at my Starbucks post just a little while longer and begin my post for yesterday, Tuesday.   Tuesday morning I came here to Starbucks in the Nice Etoile (shopping mall, just like at home) to use their free wifi. My table was right near where people line up to get their coffee and muffins and it was busy, crowded, and loud. That seems to be par for the course here in Nice – busy, crowded, loud, with crying babies and barking dogs everywhere – even in stores and restaurants – and, yes, I do mean the dogs. So my concentration amidst major distraction is improving in leaps and bounds. But that wasn’t enough yesterday, because, in addition to all that, the blog site was also slow and cranky and every move was taking me multiple minutes of waiting time. Frustration!! Carl has looked into it and there are several reasons for this to happen, some of which he could affect some which he cannot. I won’t go into it here, but I am back at Starbucks in the Nice Etoile today and things are going a bit smoother. I also have a table in the far corner away from the line (and with a plug in!), so things have gone much better this morning. So, Tuesday (yesterday), after spending 3 hours struggling with this blog, I just simply had to get up and go – I needed to move! I walked to the Musee D’Art Moderne Et D’Art Contemporain – that’s a mouthful, yes? so I will from now on refer to it as MAMAC – and to Place Garibaldi, which is very near MAMAC. The photos will tell the story. I returned to my apartment via the old city and Cours Saleya and a stop at a boulangerie for a slice of quiche and a turnover type thing filled with tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Back at home, I ate my dinner and rested. But I was determined to get Monday’s post finished, so I returned to the Nice Etoile and went to a different cafe – the Carousel – and worked on it from 6:30 to 7:30, when they and the rest of the mall closed for the night. Once again back at home, I worked on my art for awhile, maybe 2 hours, then went to bed and read myself to sleep. The visit to MAMAC was better than I thought it would be – full of inspiration – and I am excited to be taking the workshop group there. I will explain more in the comments that accompany the photos. p.s. Nicetoile is one word – I noticed that Wednesday morning. It’s almost 6p.m. on Wednesday and I’m just getting this blog finished and posted.
View of MAMAC from Place Garibaldi.

View of MAMAC from Place Garibaldi.

View of MAMAC from the other side of the building.

View of MAMAC from the other side of the building.

Street level view from inside the round outdoor courtyard of MAMAC, looking up at a current installation (orange and white wooden structure)>

Street level view from inside the round outdoor courtyard of MAMAC, looking up at a current installation (orange and white wooden structure)>

View from the roof of MAMAC. The Acropolis is the convention center. See the large grey square? Notice it is sitting on a neck and shoulders? That is by the sculptor Sacha Sosno: "the 'Square Head' is the key symbol of the city's contemporary architecture...this monument-sculpture is not open to the public and houses the offices of the Louis Nucera municipal library." I didn't go into this area on Tuesday, but plan to return another day.

View from the roof of MAMAC. The Acropolis is the convention center. See the large grey square? Notice it is sitting on a neck and shoulders? That is by the sculptor Sacha Sosno: “the ‘Square Head’ is the key symbol of the city’s contemporary architecture…this monument-sculpture is not open to the public and houses the offices of the Louis Nucera municipal library.” I didn’t go into this area on Tuesday, but plan to return another day.

View from the roof looking down into the round interior courtyard.

View from the roof looking down into the round interior courtyard.

View of Nice from the roof of MAMAC.

View of Nice from the roof of MAMAC.

Walkway to the rooftop garden.

Walkway to the rooftop garden.

If you know who this is, I think you might find this as funny as I do. So kitschy and yet not. The woman is Louise Bourgeoise and the guy in the back is Andy Warhol. I won't show you all the photos, but elsewhere in the garden Pablo Picasso is mowing the lawn, Vincent Van Gogh is sowing seeds, and Georgia O'Keefe is picking flowers. Fun! Also, isn't it serendipitous that that dry leave just happens to be hanging over Louise's head in this photo? I think the photo would be less effective without it.

If you know who this is, I think you might find this as funny as I do. So kitschy and yet not. The woman is Louise Bourgeoise and the guy in the back is Andy Warhol. I won’t show you all the photos, but elsewhere in the garden Pablo Picasso is mowing the lawn, Vincent Van Gogh is sowing seeds, and Georgia O’Keefe is picking flowers. Fun! Also, isn’t it serendipitous that that dry leave just happens to be hanging over Louise’s head in this photo? I think the photo would be less effective without it.

I'll show you some interesting patterns, shadows, and combinations of the two. Here: pattern, and my foot on the roof of MAMAC. Check out the absence of color. How would this photo change if I were wearing violet pants and/or red shoes?

I’ll show you some interesting patterns, shadows, and combinations of the two. Here: pattern, and my foot on the roof of MAMAC. Check out the absence of color. How would this photo change if I were wearing violet pants and/or red shoes?

Physical pattern and shadow pattern.

Physical pattern and shadow pattern.

Pattern. I didn't realize I was getting that shadow in the foreground. I feel that, at best, it adds nothing, and, at worst, that it harms the photos.

Pattern. I didn’t realize I was getting that shadow in the foreground. I feel that, at best, it adds nothing, and, at worst, that it harms the photos.

Pattern playing second fiddle to shadow. No one with me to take a photo of me, so this will have to do.

Pattern playing second fiddle to shadow. No one with me to take a photo of me, so this will have to do.

Pattern? Shadow? Light? The addition of color?

Pattern? Shadow? Light? The addition of color?

Same stairway, different angle. All of these photos are taken at MAMAC. The architecture was as interesting as the art.

Same stairway, different angle. All of these photos are taken at MAMAC. The architecture was as interesting as the art.

Lots of inspiration for collage in their permanent collection. I'll show you some of it. Here is a dress made of plastic bottles.

Lots of inspiration for collage in their permanent collection. I’ll show you some of it. Here is a dress made of plastic bottles.

Detail of bottle dress.

Detail of bottle dress.

I didn't get the names of all the artists. This is constructed of pieces of canvas and just tacked up on the wall rather than framed.

I didn’t get the names of all the artists. This is constructed of pieces of canvas and just tacked up on the wall rather than framed.

Yves Klein's foot! The theme of feet keeps jumping up in unexpected places!!

Yves Klein’s foot! The theme of feet keeps jumping up in unexpected places!!

Can you guess who did this? Niki de St. Phalle (did I spell that right?) There are numerous collage works by her at MAMAC.

Can you guess who did this? Niki de St. Phalle (did I spell that right?) There are numerous collage works by her at MAMAC.

This is hers, too. I am mostly familiar with her colorful, playful work. This is colorless and rather grim. I have a new appreciation for her work, now that I've seen more of it.

This is hers, too. I am mostly familiar with her colorful, playful work. This is colorless and rather grim. I have a new appreciation for her work, now that I’ve seen more of it.

Jan McLean, this one's for you.

Jan McLean, this one’s for you.

3-D collage.

3-D collage.

Well, Jan, I guess this one's for you, too. Collage with torn layers.

Well, Jan, I guess this one’s for you, too. Collage with torn layers.

Ah, there are so many I could show you, but I'll make this the last one, then I'll go on to some works from the special exhibit based on the influence of Matisse on other artists. This one is fabric draped within a plexiglass box. Such a variety of approaches to collage at this museum.

Ah, there are so many I could show you, but I’ll make this the last one, then I’ll go on to some works from the special exhibit based on the influence of Matisse on other artists. This one is fabric draped within a plexiglass box. Such a variety of approaches to collage at this museum.

The current special exhibit at MAMAC exhibits the works of several artists who have been influenced by Matisse's work. This collage is based on a sculpture by Matisse.

The current special exhibit at MAMAC exhibits the works of several artists who have been influenced by Matisse’s work. This collage is based on a sculpture by Matisse.

Another work based on Matisse's work. I'm not going to name all the artists, but I have the info on most of these if anyone wants it.

Another work based on Matisse’s work. I’m not going to name all the artists, but I have the info on most of these if anyone wants it.

Some of these "Matisse-inspired" works are paintings - but do they have a collage influence/feel?

Some of these “Matisse-inspired” works are paintings – but do they have a collage influence/feel?

Painting influenced by Matisse. What is this artist doing with this influence? The topic explored by this exhibit deserves more discussion than I have time for right now in this blog. Hey students - here's a good topic for one of our workshops.

Painting influenced by Matisse. What is this artist doing with this influence? The topic explored by this exhibit deserves more discussion than I have time for right now in this blog. Hey students – here’s a good topic for one of our workshops.

A subtle use of collage. These didn't photograph well, so I'm not sure you can see it. But this will be intriguing to discuss with the workshop group when we visit MAMAC.

A subtle use of collage. These didn’t photograph well, so I’m not sure you can see it. But this will be intriguing to discuss with the workshop group when we visit MAMAC.

And I couldn't resist showing you just one more. Now we will leave MOMAC (so much more to see than I showed you!) and move on to some photos of Place Garibaldi.

And I couldn’t resist showing you just one more. Now we will leave MOMAC (so much more to see than I showed you!) and move on to some photos of Place Garibaldi.

Place Garibaldi is a large plaza with restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating all around its perimeter, and this statue of some historic someone or other in the middle - probably Garibaldi...ya think?

Place Garibaldi is a large plaza with restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating all around its perimeter, and this statue of some historic someone or other in the middle – probably Garibaldi…ya think?

The tram runs through it, but somehow that doesn't disturb the pedestrian feel of the place. Traffic is somehow different here, but I'll have to give that more thought - I'm not sure what I mean.

The tram runs through it, but somehow that doesn’t disturb the pedestrian feel of the place. Traffic is somehow different here, but I’ll have to give that more thought – I’m not sure what I mean.

I'm thinking that when the Nice Workshop group visits MAMAC we will also spend some time in Place Garibaldi - eating, drinking, making art.

I’m thinking that when the Nice Workshop group visits MAMAC we will also spend some time in Place Garibaldi – eating, drinking, making art.

Martha
October 13th, 2013 at 12:54 am

Comment on the previous day: Promenade des Anglais – I like the vertical view better – intriguing to look for a vanishing point – and the streak of light from the clouds is a lovely distraction from that looking. All your photos are admirable and fun to examine. I also like the mandala tiles; noted the 12-sided one; so many of our lives have divisions of twelve; from the clock to the sets of tableware, and on and on.

Marie Fortin
October 11th, 2013 at 12:31 am

Wonderful pictures from MAMAC, can’t wait to see it in person.
Marie

Diane
October 10th, 2013 at 11:32 pm

Your photo of the stairway at MAMAC with the caption “Pattern? Shadow? Light” is stunning! I love the colors, the composition, the entire feel. I’d like to do a painting inspired by t his photo! Counting down the days until we meet in Nice!!

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Debi Pendell Artist by debipendell.com