The area
back North of the Place de la Bastille has been my favorite place to see new
art in Paris for decades. A few decades ago, I wrote art criticism for the
Village Voice in New York City. Coming to France, I was astonished how hard it
is to find really cutting-edge painters in this town that used to be famous for
leading new trends in the arts. Well, maybe the impressionists, fauves,
cubists, and such were always the exceptions to the rules. I always take
visitors to the triangle between Richard Lenoir, Avenue Voltaire and
Ledru-Rollin to see experimental art.
Cruising
around this ‘hood last month I came on Dorothy's Gallery on rue Keller. I
nearly fell over laughing. The windows were full of paintings and sculpture of
Barack Obama.This show of 30 artists
contributing original work celebrating Obama's nomination had been running from
through October and November, attracting more than 3,000 visitors. To show you
how well informed I am about the current art scene: I missed the reportage of
this show offered by Le Monde, Le Parisien, Le Nouvel Observateur, Les
Inrockuptibles, ELLE, Ideat, Le photographe, Télérama, Photo, Chasseur
d'Images, Artension, Ouest France, Collectionneur & Chineur, Aladin, Modes
& Travaux, Marie-Claire, 20 Minutes, Métro, The Guardian, The International
Herald Tribune, France 3, France 4, France O, Canal +, Vivolta, Antena 3, RTL,
Radio Nova, France Inter, France Culture, Oui FM.
Apart from
demonstrating my ignorance of the current art scene, I list these media to give
you an idea of how Obamania still is flourishing in France. Of course during
the show, news people flocked to this visual representation of European love
for Mr. O.Eponymous owner Dorothy
Polley mounted the original show with the sponsorship of the Democrats Abroad
organization, and her own fervor for our president-elect. She started her
gallery in 2006 in the four rooms of an old bakery, after having pursued
studies in art, literature, experimental cinema and theatre. Originally the
head of a linguistic center in Paris, at the press opening of her new Obama
show on November 28, Dorothy told me, "I wanted to help young contemporary
artists become more seen and known. . .to have a place to show and be
appreciated.
"It's great
working for a cause you can believe in. I want to go on working for the
Democrats, but I don't want to do just a gallery. I want to change to a
non-profit cultural center, include humanitarian, fund raising work, perhaps
first for handicapped children in Tanzania." "Whatever I do in the future, I
want to make sure I believe in the cause, outside of financial gain."
Has all the
publicity for her last show changed her? "I never feel I've done enough," she
says wistfully. "The way it's changed me is that working for Obama has
transformed what I want to do next. All the people I have worked with feel
thrilled about working through art for a common future."
Now that
Barack has been elected, Dorothy has decided to do a reprise of October's
triumph by inviting the same crew of French, American, Japanese, Chinese,
Polish and African artists to create paintings, video, sculpture, photographs,
drawings and even jewelry commemorating or expressing the hope Barack's
election portends.
Contributors
include painters Cyril Anguelidis, Emmanuelle Fèvre, Catherine Ursin, Aliska
Lahusen, Kazuyo
Yamamoto, Muriel Cros,
Raymond Quai, Kaetsche,
Béatrice Lecomte, Eric Turlot, Xiuyi Shen, Maïa Roger, Erwann Le Diberder; political cartoonists from
the Canard Enchainé & Charlie Hebdo like Wozniak, Cabu, Wolinski, Kiro, Kerleroux, Honoré, Tignous, Charb, Luz, and Coco; and Americans
such as Kwaku Alston, Edward
Koren (New Yorker Magazine), Ealy Mays, Marilyn Chapin Massey, Misspépette,
Kathleen Farris, and
Francine Harris.
At the
opening, one wall boasted a video projection of Obama speeches, interviews and
other clips. François Durpaire, an academician from the Sorbonne and author of
a book, l'Amérique de Barack Obama, gave a speech summarizing the new
Prez's potential.Zachary Miller,
"porte-parole de Barack Obama en France" also waxed eloquent.Music was offered by Brigitte Beling, américaine jazz and blues
chanteuse and composer.
As for the
art, some of it was wildly optimistic.
Or weirdly
French.
In any
event, if you are either an Obama fan, or just interested in progressive art,
drop by the show, it is going on from the November 29 through January 26.
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Copyright 2007 Brian Van der Horst (www.bvdh.com).
All rights reserved.
Brian Van Der Horst
About the author:
Brian Van der Horst has worked in journalism as an editor and columnist for Playboy, New Realities, Practical Psychology, and The Village Voice. He has lived in Europe since 1984.
