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Las jaras, omnipresentes por Sierra Morena, también lucen sus mejores galas en forma de preciosas flores primaverales y alfombran el sendero con sus pétalos.
Belleza y Naturaleza se dan la mano.
Beibei gives Furrby the probe and more.
[Explore #218. Thank you everyone.]
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"The Hôtel Biron is a jewel of Parisian rocaille architecture, with its park that covers nearly three hectares, adding to its immense attraction and explaining the museum’s very high attendance. In total, it welcomes over 700,000 visitors every year.
Late in 2005, the architect Pierre Louis Faloci finished the restoration of the chapel building, making possible the reopening of a temporary exhibition room.
Stretching over three hectares, the grounds are divided into a rose garden, north of the Hôtel Biron, and a large ornamental garden, to the south, while a terrace and hornbeam hedge backing onto a trellis concealed a relaxation area, at the bottom of the garden. Pierced by three openings, this trellis reflects the design and proportions of the three bay windows on the mansion’s garden façade. Two thematic walks were also laid out: in the east, plants thrive amidst the rockery in the “Garden of Orpheus”, and, in the west, water is omnipresent in the “Garden of Springs”.
Rodin started to place selected works in the overgrown garden that he liked so much in 1908, together with some of the antiques from his personal collection. Male and female torsos, copies made in the Roman or modern period, after Greek works, were presented in these natural surroundings, their contours dappled by the sunlight: “Nature and Antiquity are the two great sources of life for an artist. In any event, Antiquity implies nature. It is its truth and its smile.” (Rodin)
The first bronzes were erected in the gardens before World War I. Since 1993, they have been regularly cleaned and treated so as to preserve their original patinas."
"The Musée Rodin in Paris, France, is a museum that was opened in 1919, dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. It has two sites: the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds in central Paris and just outside Paris at Rodin's old home, the Villa des Brillants at Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine). The collection includes 6,600 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 8,000 old photographs, and 7,000 objets d’art. The museum receives 700,000 visitors annually.
While living in the Villa des Brillants, Rodin used the Hôtel Biron as his workshop from 1908 and subsequently donated his entire collection of sculptures (along with paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Pierre-Auguste Renoir that he had acquired) to the French State on the condition that they turn the buildings into a museum dedicated to his works.
The Musée Rodin contains most of Rodin's significant creations, including The Thinker, The Kiss, and The Gates of Hell. Many of his sculptures are displayed in the museum's extensive garden. The museum is one of the most accessible museums in Paris. It is located near a Metro stop, Varenne, in a central neighborhood, and the entrance fee is very reasonable. The gardens around the museum building contain many of the famous sculptures in natural settings. Behind the museum building are a small lake and casual restaurant.
Additionally, the Metro stop, Varenne, features some of Rodin's sculptures on the platform. The building is served by Métro (line 13: Varenne or Invalides), RER (line C: Invalides), and bus (69, 82, 87, 92).
The museum has also a room dedicated to the works of Camille Claudel. Some paintings by Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh that were in Rodin's personal collections are also presented. The Musée Rodin collections are very diverse, as Rodin used to collect besides being an artist."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musée_Rodin
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The omnipresent E90 Corolla has remained fairly common in some parts of London, but the numbers have shrunken drastically in the past 5 years. The recent MOT history of this one suggests an owner determined to keep it going for as long as possible.
Citygate Toyota of Slough no longer exists, the dealership seems to have been converted to a warehouse or smaller garage.
Doctor Who is owned by the BBC. No copyright infringement intended. Please give credit if you use any of these designs.
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The Doctor made no move to open the doors. Solemnly he stood, the grin that he had before slowly fading away to a small grimace. Again, the knock rang sharply from the door, but still the Doctor stood his ground, hands fidgeting over toggle switches and dials. He lowered his head and tried to block out the noise.
“Not today,” he thought to himself.
A third time the knock aggressively came, the wooden panes of the door bowing from the strain. Grudgingly, the Doctor reached a long finger over and pressed a glowing red button on the console beside him. Metal timbers ticked and turned in the lock behind him until at last they aligned themselves. With a great gust of energy, the doors flung open, revealing a figure clothed in robes woven form beams of light. Steam spilled over the threshold as the figure stepped inside the craft, a golden staff resting snugly in its hand.
"You have idled long enough, Doctor. The time to rise above your retreat is upon you."
The Doctor smirked as he gazed into the Time Rotor before him. Nonchalantly, he cleared his throat as his eyes flickered down to the controls, the indifference in his voice cracking slightly.
"That was an impressive facade you posed. I mean, really- ancient prophecies, Leagues of Eternals, Gates of Light, dark forces rising- ha! Puh-lease. I’ve heard it all before. There is only one who has the omniscient power and overbearing ego to fabricate such a convincing act... White Guardian."
The cloaked figure said nothing, the knuckles that clasped onto its golden staff tightening. The hum of the machine reverberated off the chamber walls. The Doctor felt the figure's silence, and gave a casual look over his shoulder. The figure broke their composition, sighing with defeat.
“I do not deny it. I am the White Guardian who you met in your fourth incarnation. You must forgive my fabrications. I was in desperate need, but I was unsure of your current company’s... trustworthiness.”
The Doctor’s fingers slipped on a lever, and with fire he slammed his palm into it. With a hurtful sigh, the TARDIS lights dimmed overhead, only to cautiously return to their normal pulse. The Doctor spun with confrontation, but whatever he was about to snap was choked back. He turned away.
“Anyone who travels with me has my full loyalty and confidence. Anything you say to me you can say to them.” he bitterly remarked. The White Guardian took a step in from the doorway,
“Regardless of what has passed, the point is once again I need you, Doctor, to complete what the Guardians of Good and Evil cannot do.”
"Hence this," The Doctor said, his hand reaching into the coat he wore. From his pocket he produced a white cube, the corners very worn from several years of pocket carrying. The tarnished faces glinted with an eerie light in the room’s cold light. The Doctor leaned against the console and tossed the cube between his hands.
“I’ve had my suspicions, but I would suppose your presence confirms it. You know I know what this is.”
The White Guardian said nothing to the Doctor, waiting hesitantly.
“This is the Key to Time.”
Gripping their staff, the White Guardian nodded to the Doctor. They erected their posture, their voice now omnipresent, and a slight temporal wind bellowing their robe majestically.
“Then you know what must be done. Find the other segments of Time. Complete the Key. Return it to me. I have faith in your abilities and your honor, Doctor. There is little time left. The fate of the universe rests in your hands.”
With a flourish of their cloak, The White Guardian pivoted to leave. With an aggressive grimace, the Doctor rested the Key on the lip of the console and turned back to his tinkering.
“You can take it back, I’m not doing it.”
The Guardian stopped, and turned their head to the Doctor, a look of confusion crossing their shadowed face.
“You cannot decline this task, Doctor.”
“Go bother someone else, I’m busy”
“Doing what?”
“Things.”
The Guardian slumped on its staff, unable to process this new, inconceivable resistance.
“Doctor, I realize the loss of your friends has disturbed you greatly, but there is a larger picture at hand. It is your duty to finish this, for honor, for sanity, for the balance of Time itself!”
“Well, I have a pot of tea that I left on the kettle.”
“Doctor, I have chosen you.”
“(I was afraid you were going to say that) Well, I decline your offer.”
“This is not an offer, Doctor. This is your purpose.”
“Sorry, I don’t do that anymore.”
"I don’t know what being locked in your TARDIS has done to you, but the Doctor I know was never this callous. Perhaps you need others to accompany you. As you know, I have ways, and I can provide you with new traveling partners to compensate for the ones you lost-”
The Doctor slammed his hands on the panel and turned to the Guardian, his eyes slightly blurred.
My favourite shot from the walk. It was Krishna Jayanthi. Hindus celebrate the birth of Krishna on that day, although the exact date may differ from one region to another. We spotted quite a few shops on the side of the streets selling dolls of Krishna of varying sizes.
La historia es omnipresente en Saint-Émilion, impregnando las calles empedradas y casi palpable durante su recorrido a pie.
- Una parella de les omnipresents class 66, en aquest cas de Freightliner, creua Barrow upon Soar.
- Una pareja de las omnipresentes class 66, en este caso de Freightliner atraviesa Barrow upon Soar.
- A pair of class 66 belonging to Freightliner passes Barrow upon Soar.
66621 & 66?, Barrow upon Soar, 06-23
Seemed like a star of the show for me! Omnipresent and so beautiful! Love from the first sight!A garden it belongs to will follow soon.
Sooc and crop only. managed to chaenge my lens but it was already late so had it use enourmous ISO. Silly me, only got a late ticket and there was so much to see!
www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea/show-gardens/daily-telegraph-garden...
Copyright© 2010 Anna Omiotek-Tott
This image is protected under Copyright laws and may not be downloaded and used in any way without my written permission. Please ask me if you want to use it!
Gandhara is the name given to an ancient region or province invaded in 326 B.C. by Alexander the Great, who took Charsadda (ancient Puskalavati) near present-day Peshawar (ancient Purusapura) and then marched eastward across the Indus into the Punjab as far as the Beas river (ancient Vipasa). Gandhara constituted the undulating plains, irrigated by the Kabul River from the Khyber Pass area, the contemporary boundary between Pakistan and Afganistan, down to the Indus River and southward towards the Murree hills and Taxila (ancient Taksasila), near Pakistan"s present capital, Islamabad. Its art, however, during the first centuries of the Christian era, had adopted a substantially larger area, together with the upper stretches of the Kabul River, the valley of Kabul itself, and ancient Kapisa, as well as Swat and Buner towards the north.
A great deal of Gandhara sculptures has survived dating from the first to probably as late as the sixth or even the seventh century but in a remarkably homogeneous style. Most of the arts were almost always in a blue-gray mica schist, though sometimes in a green phyllite or in stucco, or very rarely in terracotta. Because of the appeal of its Western classical aesthetic for the British rulers of India, schooled to admire all things Greek and Roman, a great deal found its way into private hands or the shelter of museums.
Gandhara sculpture primarily comprised Buddhist monastic establishments. These monasteries provided a never-ending gallery for sculptured reliefs of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. The Gandhara stupas were comparatively magnified and more intricate, but the most remarkable feature, which distinguished the Gandhara stupas from the pervious styles were hugely tiered umbrellas at its peak, almost soaring over the total structure. The abundance of Gandharan sculpture was an art, which originated with foreign artisans.
In the excavation among the varied miscellany of small bronze figures, though not often like Alexandrian imports, four or five Buddhist bronzes are very late in date. These further illustrate the aura of the Gandhara art. Relics of mural paintings though have been discovered, yet the only substantial body of painting, in Bamiyan, is moderately late, and much of it belongs to an Iranian or central Asian rather than an Indian context. Non-narrative themes and architectural ornament were omnipresent at that time. Mythical figures and animals such as atlantes, tritons, dragons, and sea serpents derive from the same source, although there is the occasional high-backed, stylized creature associated with the Central Asian animal style. Moldings and cornices are decorated mostly with acanthus, laurel, and vine, though sometimes with motifs of Indian, and occasionally ultimately western Asian, origin: stepped merlons, lion heads, vedikas, and lotus petals. It is worth noting that architectural elements such as pillars, gable ends, and domes as represented in the reliefs tend to follow the Indian forms
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Gandhara became roughly a Holy Land of Buddhism and excluding a handful of Hindu images, sculpture took the form either of Buddhist sect objects, Buddha and Bodhisattvas, or of architectural embellishment for Buddhist monasteries. The more metaphorical kinds are demonstrated by small votive stupas, and bases teeming with stucco images and figurines that have lasted at Jaulian and Mora Moradu, outpost monasteries in the hills around Taxila. Hadda, near the present town of Jalalabad, has created some groups in stucco of an almost rococo while more latest works of art in baked clay, with strong Hellenistic influence, have been revealed there, in what sums up as tiny chapels. It is not known exactly why stucco, an imported Alexandrian modus operandi, was used. It is true that grey schist is not found near Taxila, however other stones are available, and in opposition to the ease of operating with stucco, predominantly the artistic effects which can be achieved, must be set with its impermanence- fresh deposits frequently had to be applied. Excluding possibly at Taxila, its use emerges to have been a late expansion.
Architectural fundamentals of the Gandhara art, like pillars, gable ends and domes as showcased in the reliefs, were inclined to follow Indian outlines, but the pilaster with capital of Corinthian type, abounds and in one-palace scene Persepolitan columns go along with Roman coffered ceilings. The so-called Shrine of the Double-Headed Eagle at Sirkap, in actuality a stupa pedestal, well demonstrates this enlightening eclecticism- the double-headed bird on top of the chaitya arch is an insignia of Scythian origin, which appears as a Byzantine motif and materialises much later in South India as the ga1J.qa-bheru1J.qa in addition to atop European armorial bearings.
In Gandhara art the descriptive friezes were all but invariably Buddhist, and hence Indian in substance- one depicted a horse on wheels nearing a doorway, which might have represented the Trojan horse affair, but this is under scan. The Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, familiar from the previous Greek-based coinage of the region, appeared once or twice as standing figurines, presumably because as a pair, they tallied an Indian mithuna couple. There were also female statuettes, corresponding to city goddesses. Though figures from Butkara, near Saidan Sharif in Swat, were noticeably more Indian in physical type, and Indian motifs were in abundance there. Sculpture was, in the main, Hellenistic or Roman, and the art of Gandhara was indeed "the easternmost appearance of the art of the Roman Empire, especially in its late and provincial manifestations". Furthermore, naturalistic portrait heads, one of the high-points of Roman sculpture, were all but missing in Gandhara, in spite of the episodic separated head, probably that of a donor, with a discernible feeling of uniqueness. Some constitutions and poses matched those from western Asia and the Roman world; like the manner in which a figure in a recurrently instanced scene from the Dipankara jataka had prostrated himself before the future Buddha, is reverberated in the pose of the defeated before the defeater on a Trojanic frieze on the Arch of Constantine and in later illustrations of the admiration of the divinised emperor. One singular recurrently occurring muscular male figure, hand on sword, witnessed in three-quarters view from the backside, has been adopted from western classical sculpture. On occasions standing figures, even the Buddha, deceived the elusive stylistic actions of the Roman sculptor, seeking to express majestas. The drapery was fundamentally Western- the folds and volume of dangling garments were carved with realness and gusto- but it was mainly the persistent endeavours at illusionism, though frequently obscured by unrefined carving, which earmarked the Gandhara sculpture as based on a western classical visual impact.
The distinguishing Gandhara sculpture, of which hundreds if not thousands of instances have outlived, is the standing or seated Buddha. This flawlessly reproduces the necessary nature of Gandhara art, in which a religious and an artistic constituent, drawn from widely varied cultures have been bonded. The iconography is purely Indian. The seated Buddha is mostly cross-legged in the established Indian manner. However, forthcoming generations, habituated to think of the Buddha as a monk, and unable to picture him ever possessing long hair or donning a turban, came to deduce the chigon as a "cranial protuberance", singular to Buddha. But Buddha is never depicted with a shaved head, as are the Sangha, the monks; his short hair is clothed either in waves or in taut curls over his whole head. The extended ears are merely due to the downward thrust of the heavy ear-rings worn by a prince or magnate; the distortion of the ear-lobes is especially visible in Buddha, who, in Gandhara, never wore ear-rings or ornaments of any kind. As Foucher puts it, the Gandhara Buddha is at a time a monk without shaving and a prince stripped off jewellery.
The western classical factor rests in the style, in the handling of the robe, and in the physiognomy of Buddha. The cloak, which covers all but the appendages (though the right shoulder is often bared), is dealt like in Greek and Roman sculptures; the heavy folds are given a plastic flair of their own, and only in poorer or later works do they deteriorate into indented lines, fairly a return to standard Indian practice. The "western" treatment has caused Buddha"s garment to be misidentified for a toga; but a toga is semicircular, while, Buddha wore a basic, rectangular piece of cloth, i.e., the samghiifi, a monk"s upper garment. The head gradually swerves towards a hieratic stylisation, but at its best, it is naturalistic and almost positively based on the Greek Apollo, undoubtedly in Hellenistic or Roman copies.
Gandhara art also had developed at least two species of image, i.e. not part of the frieze, in which Buddha is the fundamental figure of an event in his life, distinguished by accompanying figures and a detailed mise-en-scene. Perhaps the most remarkable amongst these is the Visit to the Indrasala Cave, of which the supreme example is dated in the year 89, almost unquestionably of the Kanishka period. Indra and his harpist are depicted on their visit in it. The small statuettes of the visitors emerge below, an elephant describing Indra. The more general among these detailed images, of which approximately 30 instances are known, is presumably related with the Great Miracle of Sravasti. In one such example, one of the adjoining Bodhisattvas is distinguished as Avalokiteshwara by the tiny seated Buddha in his headgear. Other features of these images include the unreal species of tree above Buddha, the spiky lotus upon which he sits, and the effortlessly identifiable figurines of Indra and Brahma on both sides.
Another important aspect of the Gandhara art was the coins of the Graeco-Bactrians. The coins of the Graeco-Bactrians - on the Greek metrological standard, equals the finest Attic examples and of the Indo-Greek kings, which have until lately served as the only instances of Greek art found in the subcontinent. The legendary silver double decadrachmas of Amyntas, possibly a remembrance issue, are the biggest "Greek" coins ever minted, the largest cast in gold, is the exceptional decadrachma of the same king in the Bibliotheque Nationale, with the Dioscuri on the inverse. Otherwise, there was scanty evidence until recently of Greek or Hellenistic influences in Gandhara. A manifestation of Greek metropolitan planning is furnished by the rectilinear layouts of two cities of the 1st centuries B.C./A.D.--Sirkap at Taxila and Shaikhan Pheri at Charsadda. Remains of the temple at Jandial, also at Taxila and presumably dating back to 1st century B.C., also includes Greek characteristics- remarkably the huge base mouldings and the Ionic capitals of the colossal portico and antechamber columns. In contrast, the columns or pilasters on the immeasurable Gandhara friezes (when they are not in a Indian style), are consistently coronated by Indo-Corinthian capitals, the local version of the Corinthian capital- a certain sign of a comparatively later date.
The notable Begram hoard confirms articulately to the number and multiplicity of origin of the foreign artefacts imported into Gandhara. This further illustrates the foreign influence in the Gandhara art. Parallel hoards have been found in peninsular India, especially in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, but the imported wares are sternly from the Roman world. At Begram the ancient Kapisa, near Kabul, there are bronzes, possibly of Alexandrian manufacture, in close proximity with emblemata (plaster discs, certainly meant as moulds for local silversmiths), bearing reliefs in the purest classical vein, Chinese lacquers and Roman glass. The hoard was possibly sealed in mid-3rd century, when some of the subjects may have been approximately 200 years old "antiques", frequently themselves replicates of classical Greek objects. The plentiful ivories, consisting in the central of chest and throne facings, engraved in a number of varied relief techniques, were credibly developed somewhere between Mathura and coastal Andhra. Some are of unrivalled beauty. Even though a few secluded instances of early Indian ivory carving have outlived, including the legendary mirror handle from Pompeii, the Begram ivories are the only substantial collection known until moderately in present times of what must always have been a widespread craft. Other sites, particularly Taxila, have generated great many instances of such imports, some from India, some, like the appealing tiny bronze figure of Harpocrates, undoubtedly from Alexandria. Further cultural influences are authenticated by the Scytho Sarmatian jewellery, with its characteristic high-backed carnivores, and by a statue of St. Peter. But all this should not cloud the all-important truth that the immediately identifiable Gandhara style was the prevailing form of artistic manifestation throughout the expanse for several centuries, and the magnitude of its influence on the art of central Asia and China and as far as Japan, allows no doubt about its integrity and vitality.
In the Gandhara art early Buddhist iconography drew heavily on traditional sources, incorporating Hindu gods and goddesses into a Buddhist pantheon and adapting old folk tales to Buddhist religious purposes. Kubera and Harm are probably the best-known examples of this process.
Five dated idols from Gandhara art though exist, however the hitch remains that the era is never distinguished. The dates are in figures under 100 or else in 300s. Moreover one of the higher numbers are debatable, besides, the image upon which it is engraved is not in the conventional Andhra style. The two low-number-dated idols are the most sophisticated and the least injured. Their pattern is classical Gandhara. The most undemanding rendition of their dates relates them to Kanishka and 78 A.D. is assumed as the commencement of his era. They both fall in the second half of the 2nd century A.D. and equally later, if a later date is necessitated for the beginning of Kanishka`s time. This calculation nearly parallels numismatics and archaeological evidences. The application of other eras, like the Vikrama (base date- 58 B.C.) and the Saka (base date- 78 A.D.), would place them much later. The badly battered figurines portray standing Buddhas, without a head of its own, but both on original figured plinths. They come to view as depicting the classical Gandhara style; decision regarding where to place these two dated Buddhas, both standing, must remain knotty till more evidence comes out as to how late the classical Gandhara panache had continued.
Methodical study of the Gandhara art, and specifically about its origins and expansion, is befuddled with numerous problems, not at least of which is the inordinately complex history and culture of the province. It is one of the great ethnical crossroads of the world simultaneously being in the path of all the intrusions of India for over three millennia. Bussagli has rightly remarked, `More than any other Indian region, Gandhara was a participant in the political and cultural events that concerned the rest of the Asian continent`.
However, Systematic study of the art of Gandhara, and particularly of its origins and development, is bedeviled by many problems, not the least of which is the extraordinarily complex history and culture of the region.
In spite of the labours of many scholars over the past hundred and fifty years, the answers to some of the most important questions, such as the number of centuries spanned by the art of Gandhara, still await, fresh archaeological, inscriptional, or numismatic evidence.
Our Silences is an itinerant sculpture created to make us reflect on the importance of free speech and self-censorship. It intends to incite an intimate dialogue with the spectator on one of the most fundamental human rights and, at the same time, to establish a symbolic interchange with the places where it is shown.
The ten monumental bronze busts with covered mouths and the so called “tactile box” for the blind and visually weak, are both designed to journey all over the world. Since 2009, the installation has been presented in Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Russia, Mexico and the United States in cities like San Diego and, very recently, in San Francisco, by the bay.
Rivelino’s appropriationist style —apparent in the way he freely uses typical antique sculptural forms in his proposal— clearly seeks to establish an immediate bond with the past and the memories of the spectator and, at the same time, a strong physical relationship between the work and the spectator Nevertheless, underlying all this is a profound reflection on liberty and its daily exercise.
The eleventh sculpture is an interactive cube (2m3) which allows spectators to perceive what cannot be perceived with the eye. Each side has two holes that incite the spectator to discover what is inside and what is found are four tiny sculptures that reproduce the ones outside. People can actually touch the sculptures by introducing their hands through the holes and experience tactile, thermic, and affective sensations.
The purpose of this huge steel cube is to attract all kinds of spectators, but especially young people, children, and those visually weak or blind. It is a unique sculpture because it offers, beyond our sense of sight, the opportunity of sharing in a simple way an extraordinary aesthetic experience. For all this, Our Silences is an inclusive, open, artistic and social project.
Rivelino, Member of the Young Mexican Sculpture, has developed an artistic proposal characterized by the research and construction of reliefs and also by being one of the most active artists in Mexico in the field of sculptural intervention on the public urban space.
For Rivelino, a relief is a surface which expresses itself through the aesthetics of the materials being used, a space that becomes a territory by being occupied with volumes and marks, and an object that claims to encapsulate stories. Materials for the sculptor are “a skin with inscriptions engraved of ancient rituals, beliefs and memories common to all mankind”.
His sculptures are characterized by a poetic which moves from the recognizable to the strange and mysterious. “Divided between anthropomorphic figures of hieratic expression and geometric omnipresent objects, his sculptures preserve the importance of the relief through added volumes or engravings carved on their surfaces.”
Rivelino’s interest in triggering a dialogue with collective memory has lead him to consider the urban space as an ideal encounter territory for imaginary pasts and presents, a place which embraces several memories.
His sculptures on streets, squares, iconic monuments or any other public space break with the identity and the history of those places “with themes that deal with social problems, ethics and human rights […] they alter the established aesthetic perception of spectators through a sculptural narrative that moves from the surreal to the real; from the possible to the impossible.”
An independent artist, Rivelino divides his activities between creation and social activism related to topics like economy and culture. In 2010 he participated at the Universal Expo in Shanghai with the relief “Natural Dialogues”. In 2011 he inaugurated the art gallery at the Secretaría de Economía in Mexico with the exhibition “Limits and Consequences”, and in 2012 he participated in the Economics World Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in the “Art and inequality” panel.
His artistic projects are always daring. His successful work Nuestros Silencios (“Our silences”) approaches the right to free speech and it has been exhibited in American and European cities since 2010. In 2012, he shattered the Mexican institutional artistic establishment with his work Raíces (“Roots”), a gigantic metaphor of Mexican identity. The work was a giant serpent which climbed and slithered amongst prehispanic, colonial, and modern buildings in downtown Mexico City.
In 2015 Rivelino participated in The Dual Year Mexico-United Kingdom festivities with his monumental sculpture You, a work that remained for five months on the iconic Trafalgar Square. During 2016 he participated on the project Obra en Obra (Work on Work) with a piece called ¿El ejército de quién? (Whose Army?), which consisted in more than ten thousand soldiers covered in gold leaf posing the question: Who do armies protect? At the beginning of 2017, the piece You was presented for the first time in Mexico, at the Macroplaza in Monterrey. Today, the piece is being exhibited at the Patio Mayor of the Instituto Cultural Cabañas in Guadalajara, Mexico.
San Francisco officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, financial, and cultural center in Northern California. With a population of 808,437 residents as of 2022, San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of California. The city covers a land area of 46.9 square miles (121 square kilometers) at the end of the San Francisco Peninsula, making it the second-most densely populated large U.S. city after New York City and the fifth-most densely populated U.S. county, behind only four New York City boroughs. Among the 92 U.S. cities proper with over 250,000 residents, San Francisco was ranked first by per capita income and sixth by aggregate income as of 2022. Colloquial nicknames for San Francisco include Frisco, San Fran, The City, and SF (although Frisco and San Fran are generally not used by locals).
Prior to European settlement, the modern city proper was inhabited by the Yelamu, who spoke a language now referred to as Ramaytush Ohlone. On June 29, 1776, settlers from New Spain established the Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate, and the Mission San Francisco de Asís a few miles away, both named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought rapid growth, transforming an unimportant hamlet into a busy port, making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time; between 1870 and 1900, approximately one quarter of California's population resided in the city proper. In 1856, San Francisco became a consolidated city-county. After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, it was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. In World War II, it was a major port of embarkation for naval service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater. In 1945, the United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco, establishing the United Nations and in 1951, the Treaty of San Francisco re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers. After the war, the confluence of returning servicemen, significant immigration, liberalizing attitudes, the rise of the beatnik and hippie countercultures, the sexual revolution, the peace movement growing from opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War, and other factors led to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement, cementing San Francisco as a center of liberal activism in the United States.
San Francisco and the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area are a global center of economic activity and the arts and sciences, spurred by leading universities, high-tech, healthcare, finance, insurance, real estate, and professional services sectors. As of 2020, the metropolitan area, with 6.7 million residents, ranked 5th by GDP ($874 billion) and 2nd by GDP per capita ($131,082) across the OECD countries, ahead of global cities like Paris, London, and Singapore. San Francisco anchors the 13th most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States with 4.6 million residents, and the fourth-largest by aggregate income and economic output, with a GDP of $729 billion in 2022. The wider San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland Combined Statistical Area is the fifth-most populous, with 9.0 million residents, and the third-largest by economic output, with a GDP of $1.32 trillion in 2022. In the same year, San Francisco proper had a GDP of $252.2 billion, and a GDP per capita of $312,000. San Francisco was ranked fifth in the world and second in the United States on the Global Financial Centres Index as of September 2023. Despite an ongoing post-COVID-19 pandemic exodus of over 30 retail businesses from the northeastern quadrant of San Francisco, including the downtown core, the city is still home to numerous companies inside and outside of technology, including Salesforce, Uber, Airbnb, X Corp., Levi's, Gap, Dropbox, and Lyft.
In 2022, San Francisco had more than 1.7 million international visitors - the fifth-most visited city from abroad in the United States after New York City, Miami, Orlando, and Los Angeles - and approximately 20 million domestic visitors for a total of 21.9 million visitors. The city is known for its steep rolling hills and eclectic mix of architecture across varied neighborhoods, as well as its cool summers, fog, and landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and Alcatraz, along with the Chinatown and Mission districts. The city is home to a number of educational and cultural institutions, such as the University of California, San Francisco, the University of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the de Young Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, the SFJAZZ Center, and the California Academy of Sciences. Two major league sports teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Golden State Warriors, play their home games within San Francisco proper. San Francisco's main international airport offers flights to over 125 destinations while a light rail and bus network, in tandem with the BART and Caltrain systems, connects nearly every part of San Francisco with the wider region.
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in North America and the 34th most populous in the world. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country. San Francisco is the second most densely populated major city in the country. Los Angeles County is the country's most populous, while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. California borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, the Mexican state of Baja California to the south; and has a coastline along the Pacific Ocean to the west.
The economy of the state of California is the largest in the United States, with a $3.4 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2022. It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If California were a sovereign nation, it would rank as the world's fifth-largest economy as of 2022, behind Germany and ahead of India, as well as the 37th most populous. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and third-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.5 trillion respectively as of 2020). The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018, and is home to five of the world's ten largest companies by market capitalization and four of the world's ten richest people.
Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America and contained the highest Native American population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, including large-scale immigration into California, a worldwide economic boom, and the California genocide of indigenous people. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850.
Notable contributions to popular culture, for example in entertainment and sports, have their origins in California. The state also has made noteworthy contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, environmentalism, economics, and politics. It is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and one of the largest film industries in the world, which has had a profound influence upon global entertainment. It is considered the origin of the hippie counterculture, beach and car culture, and the personal computer, among other innovations. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as the centers of the global technology and film industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse: 58% of it is based on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific, and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the state's economy, California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state. California's ports and harbors handle about a third of all U.S. imports, most originating in Pacific Rim international trade.
The state's extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, dominates the state's center. California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate and monsoon seasonal weather. The large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains.
Settled by successive waves of arrivals during at least the last 13,000 years, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. Various estimates of the native population have ranged from 100,000 to 300,000. The indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct ethnic groups, inhabiting environments from mountains and deserts to islands and redwood forests. These groups were also diverse in their political organization, with bands, tribes, villages, and on the resource-rich coasts, large chiefdoms, such as the Chumash, Pomo and Salinan. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered social and economic relationships between many groups.
The first Europeans to explore the coast of California were the members of a Spanish maritime expedition led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542. Cabrillo was commissioned by Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain, to lead an expedition up the Pacific coast in search of trade opportunities; they entered San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542, and reached at least as far north as San Miguel Island. Privateer and explorer Francis Drake explored and claimed an undefined portion of the California coast in 1579, landing north of the future city of San Francisco. Sebastián Vizcaíno explored and mapped the coast of California in 1602 for New Spain, putting ashore in Monterey. Despite the on-the-ground explorations of California in the 16th century, Rodríguez's idea of California as an island persisted. Such depictions appeared on many European maps well into the 18th century.
The Portolá expedition of 1769-70 was a pivotal event in the Spanish colonization of California, resulting in the establishment of numerous missions, presidios, and pueblos. The military and civil contingent of the expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá, who traveled over land from Sonora into California, while the religious component was headed by Junípero Serra, who came by sea from Baja California. In 1769, Portolá and Serra established Mission San Diego de Alcalá and the Presidio of San Diego, the first religious and military settlements founded by the Spanish in California. By the end of the expedition in 1770, they would establish the Presidio of Monterey and Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo on Monterey Bay.
After the Portolà expedition, Spanish missionaries led by Father-President Serra set out to establish 21 Spanish missions of California along El Camino Real ("The Royal Road") and along the Californian coast, 16 sites of which having been chosen during the Portolá expedition. Numerous major cities in California grew out of missions, including San Francisco (Mission San Francisco de Asís), San Diego (Mission San Diego de Alcalá), Ventura (Mission San Buenaventura), or Santa Barbara (Mission Santa Barbara), among others.
Juan Bautista de Anza led a similarly important expedition throughout California in 1775–76, which would extend deeper into the interior and north of California. The Anza expedition selected numerous sites for missions, presidios, and pueblos, which subsequently would be established by settlers. Gabriel Moraga, a member of the expedition, would also christen many of California's prominent rivers with their names in 1775–1776, such as the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River. After the expedition, Gabriel's son, José Joaquín Moraga, would found the pueblo of San Jose in 1777, making it the first civilian-established city in California.
The Spanish founded Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of the Californian missions.
During this same period, sailors from the Russian Empire explored along the northern coast of California. In 1812, the Russian-American Company established a trading post and small fortification at Fort Ross on the North Coast. Fort Ross was primarily used to supply Russia's Alaskan colonies with food supplies. The settlement did not meet much success, failing to attract settlers or establish long term trade viability, and was abandoned by 1841.
During the War of Mexican Independence, Alta California was largely unaffected and uninvolved in the revolution, though many Californios supported independence from Spain, which many believed had neglected California and limited its development. Spain's trade monopoly on California had limited the trade prospects of Californians. Following Mexican independence, Californian ports were freely able to trade with foreign merchants. Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá presided over the transition from Spanish colonial rule to independent.
In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence gave the Mexican Empire (which included California) independence from Spain. For the next 25 years, Alta California remained a remote, sparsely populated, northwestern administrative district of the newly independent country of Mexico, which shortly after independence became a republic. The missions, which controlled most of the best land in the state, were secularized by 1834 and became the property of the Mexican government. The governor granted many square leagues of land to others with political influence. These huge ranchos or cattle ranches emerged as the dominant institutions of Mexican California. The ranchos developed under ownership by Californios (Hispanics native of California) who traded cowhides and tallow with Boston merchants. Beef did not become a commodity until the 1849 California Gold Rush.
From the 1820s, trappers and settlers from the United States and Canada began to arrive in Northern California. These new arrivals used the Siskiyou Trail, California Trail, Oregon Trail and Old Spanish Trail to cross the rugged mountains and harsh deserts in and surrounding California. The early government of the newly independent Mexico was highly unstable, and in a reflection of this, from 1831 onwards, California also experienced a series of armed disputes, both internal and with the central Mexican government. During this tumultuous political period Juan Bautista Alvarado was able to secure the governorship during 1836–1842. The military action which first brought Alvarado to power had momentarily declared California to be an independent state, and had been aided by Anglo-American residents of California, including Isaac Graham. In 1840, one hundred of those residents who did not have passports were arrested, leading to the Graham Affair, which was resolved in part with the intercession of Royal Navy officials.
One of the largest ranchers in California was John Marsh. After failing to obtain justice against squatters on his land from the Mexican courts, he determined that California should become part of the United States. Marsh conducted a letter-writing campaign espousing the California climate, the soil, and other reasons to settle there, as well as the best route to follow, which became known as "Marsh's route". His letters were read, reread, passed around, and printed in newspapers throughout the country, and started the first wagon trains rolling to California. He invited immigrants to stay on his ranch until they could get settled, and assisted in their obtaining passports.
After ushering in the period of organized emigration to California, Marsh became involved in a military battle between the much-hated Mexican general, Manuel Micheltorena and the California governor he had replaced, Juan Bautista Alvarado. The armies of each met at the Battle of Providencia near Los Angeles. Marsh had been forced against his will to join Micheltorena's army. Ignoring his superiors, during the battle, he signaled the other side for a parley. There were many settlers from the United States fighting on both sides. He convinced these men that they had no reason to be fighting each other. As a result of Marsh's actions, they abandoned the fight, Micheltorena was defeated, and California-born Pio Pico was returned to the governorship. This paved the way to California's ultimate acquisition by the United States.
In 1846, a group of American settlers in and around Sonoma rebelled against Mexican rule during the Bear Flag Revolt. Afterward, rebels raised the Bear Flag (featuring a bear, a star, a red stripe and the words "California Republic") at Sonoma. The Republic's only president was William B. Ide,[65] who played a pivotal role during the Bear Flag Revolt. This revolt by American settlers served as a prelude to the later American military invasion of California and was closely coordinated with nearby American military commanders.
The California Republic was short-lived; the same year marked the outbreak of the Mexican–American War (1846–48).
Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into Monterey Bay in 1846 and began the U.S. military invasion of California, with Northern California capitulating in less than a month to the United States forces. In Southern California, Californios continued to resist American forces. Notable military engagements of the conquest include the Battle of San Pasqual and the Battle of Dominguez Rancho in Southern California, as well as the Battle of Olómpali and the Battle of Santa Clara in Northern California. After a series of defensive battles in the south, the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed by the Californios on January 13, 1847, securing a censure and establishing de facto American control in California.
Following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (February 2, 1848) that ended the war, the westernmost portion of the annexed Mexican territory of Alta California soon became the American state of California, and the remainder of the old territory was then subdivided into the new American Territories of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Utah. The even more lightly populated and arid lower region of old Baja California remained as a part of Mexico. In 1846, the total settler population of the western part of the old Alta California had been estimated to be no more than 8,000, plus about 100,000 Native Americans, down from about 300,000 before Hispanic settlement in 1769.
In 1848, only one week before the official American annexation of the area, gold was discovered in California, this being an event which was to forever alter both the state's demographics and its finances. Soon afterward, a massive influx of immigration into the area resulted, as prospectors and miners arrived by the thousands. The population burgeoned with United States citizens, Europeans, Chinese and other immigrants during the great California Gold Rush. By the time of California's application for statehood in 1850, the settler population of California had multiplied to 100,000. By 1854, more than 300,000 settlers had come. Between 1847 and 1870, the population of San Francisco increased from 500 to 150,000.
The seat of government for California under Spanish and later Mexican rule had been located in Monterey from 1777 until 1845. Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of Alta California, had briefly moved the capital to Los Angeles in 1845. The United States consulate had also been located in Monterey, under consul Thomas O. Larkin.
In 1849, a state Constitutional Convention was first held in Monterey. Among the first tasks of the convention was a decision on a location for the new state capital. The first full legislative sessions were held in San Jose (1850–1851). Subsequent locations included Vallejo (1852–1853), and nearby Benicia (1853–1854); these locations eventually proved to be inadequate as well. The capital has been located in Sacramento since 1854 with only a short break in 1862 when legislative sessions were held in San Francisco due to flooding in Sacramento. Once the state's Constitutional Convention had finalized its state constitution, it applied to the U.S. Congress for admission to statehood. On September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850, California became a free state and September 9 a state holiday.
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), California sent gold shipments eastward to Washington in support of the Union. However, due to the existence of a large contingent of pro-South sympathizers within the state, the state was not able to muster any full military regiments to send eastwards to officially serve in the Union war effort. Still, several smaller military units within the Union army were unofficially associated with the state of California, such as the "California 100 Company", due to a majority of their members being from California.
At the time of California's admission into the Union, travel between California and the rest of the continental United States had been a time-consuming and dangerous feat. Nineteen years later, and seven years after it was greenlighted by President Lincoln, the First transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. California was then reachable from the eastern States in a week's time.
Much of the state was extremely well suited to fruit cultivation and agriculture in general. Vast expanses of wheat, other cereal crops, vegetable crops, cotton, and nut and fruit trees were grown (including oranges in Southern California), and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production in the Central Valley and elsewhere.
In the nineteenth century, a large number of migrants from China traveled to the state as part of the Gold Rush or to seek work. Even though the Chinese proved indispensable in building the transcontinental railroad from California to Utah, perceived job competition with the Chinese led to anti-Chinese riots in the state, and eventually the US ended migration from China partially as a response to pressure from California with the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act.
Under earlier Spanish and Mexican rule, California's original native population had precipitously declined, above all, from Eurasian diseases to which the indigenous people of California had not yet developed a natural immunity. Under its new American administration, California's harsh governmental policies towards its own indigenous people did not improve. As in other American states, many of the native inhabitants were soon forcibly removed from their lands by incoming American settlers such as miners, ranchers, and farmers. Although California had entered the American union as a free state, the "loitering or orphaned Indians" were de facto enslaved by their new Anglo-American masters under the 1853 Act for the Government and Protection of Indians. There were also massacres in which hundreds of indigenous people were killed.
Between 1850 and 1860, the California state government paid around 1.5 million dollars (some 250,000 of which was reimbursed by the federal government) to hire militias whose purpose was to protect settlers from the indigenous populations. In later decades, the native population was placed in reservations and rancherias, which were often small and isolated and without enough natural resources or funding from the government to sustain the populations living on them. As a result, the rise of California was a calamity for the native inhabitants. Several scholars and Native American activists, including Benjamin Madley and Ed Castillo, have described the actions of the California government as a genocide.
In the twentieth century, thousands of Japanese people migrated to the US and California specifically to attempt to purchase and own land in the state. However, the state in 1913 passed the Alien Land Act, excluding Asian immigrants from owning land. During World War II, Japanese Americans in California were interned in concentration camps such as at Tule Lake and Manzanar. In 2020, California officially apologized for this internment.
Migration to California accelerated during the early 20th century with the completion of major transcontinental highways like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66. In the period from 1900 to 1965, the population grew from fewer than one million to the greatest in the Union. In 1940, the Census Bureau reported California's population as 6.0% Hispanic, 2.4% Asian, and 89.5% non-Hispanic white.
To meet the population's needs, major engineering feats like the California and Los Angeles Aqueducts; the Oroville and Shasta Dams; and the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges were built across the state. The state government also adopted the California Master Plan for Higher Education in 1960 to develop a highly efficient system of public education.
Meanwhile, attracted to the mild Mediterranean climate, cheap land, and the state's wide variety of geography, filmmakers established the studio system in Hollywood in the 1920s. California manufactured 8.7 percent of total United States military armaments produced during World War II, ranking third (behind New York and Michigan) among the 48 states. California however easily ranked first in production of military ships during the war (transport, cargo, [merchant ships] such as Liberty ships, Victory ships, and warships) at drydock facilities in San Diego, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. After World War II, California's economy greatly expanded due to strong aerospace and defense industries, whose size decreased following the end of the Cold War. Stanford University and its Dean of Engineering Frederick Terman began encouraging faculty and graduates to stay in California instead of leaving the state, and develop a high-tech region in the area now known as Silicon Valley. As a result of these efforts, California is regarded as a world center of the entertainment and music industries, of technology, engineering, and the aerospace industry, and as the United States center of agricultural production. Just before the Dot Com Bust, California had the fifth-largest economy in the world among nations.
In the mid and late twentieth century, a number of race-related incidents occurred in the state. Tensions between police and African Americans, combined with unemployment and poverty in inner cities, led to violent riots, such as the 1965 Watts riots and 1992 Rodney King riots. California was also the hub of the Black Panther Party, a group known for arming African Americans to defend against racial injustice and for organizing free breakfast programs for schoolchildren. Additionally, Mexican, Filipino, and other migrant farm workers rallied in the state around Cesar Chavez for better pay in the 1960s and 1970s.
During the 20th century, two great disasters happened in California. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and 1928 St. Francis Dam flood remain the deadliest in U.S. history.
Although air pollution problems have been reduced, health problems associated with pollution have continued. The brown haze known as "smog" has been substantially abated after the passage of federal and state restrictions on automobile exhaust.
An energy crisis in 2001 led to rolling blackouts, soaring power rates, and the importation of electricity from neighboring states. Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company came under heavy criticism.
Housing prices in urban areas continued to increase; a modest home which in the 1960s cost $25,000 would cost half a million dollars or more in urban areas by 2005. More people commuted longer hours to afford a home in more rural areas while earning larger salaries in the urban areas. Speculators bought houses they never intended to live in, expecting to make a huge profit in a matter of months, then rolling it over by buying more properties. Mortgage companies were compliant, as everyone assumed the prices would keep rising. The bubble burst in 2007–8 as housing prices began to crash and the boom years ended. Hundreds of billions in property values vanished and foreclosures soared as many financial institutions and investors were badly hurt.
In the twenty-first century, droughts and frequent wildfires attributed to climate change have occurred in the state. From 2011 to 2017, a persistent drought was the worst in its recorded history. The 2018 wildfire season was the state's deadliest and most destructive, most notably Camp Fire.
Although air pollution problems have been reduced, health problems associated with pollution have continued. The brown haze that is known as "smog" has been substantially abated thanks to federal and state restrictions on automobile exhaust.
One of the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States that occurred in California was first of which was confirmed on January 26, 2020. Meaning, all of the early confirmed cases were persons who had recently travelled to China in Asia, as testing was restricted to this group. On this January 29, 2020, as disease containment protocols were still being developed, the U.S. Department of State evacuated 195 persons from Wuhan, China aboard a chartered flight to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, and in this process, it may have granted and conferred to escalated within the land and the US at cosmic. On February 5, 2020, the U.S. evacuated 345 more citizens from Hubei Province to two military bases in California, Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, where they were quarantined for 14 days. A state of emergency was largely declared in this state of the nation on March 4, 2020, and as of February 24, 2021, remains in effect. A mandatory statewide stay-at-home order was issued on March 19, 2020, due to increase, which was ended on January 25, 2021, allowing citizens to return to normal life. On April 6, 2021, the state announced plans to fully reopen the economy by June 15, 2021.
Winter is omnipresent in germany. Last year we had 7 months of blistering cold and grey weather. To get the idea of beautiful landscapes in our home country, we are spending our time, finding spots for our works and coincidently in search for the beauty and moments of nature.
The omnipresent Brush Turkey - these guys seem to own the streets and parks of the Byron area. Seen here ominously lurking in a dark suburban corner.
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"La Testa", "Le due Teste", symbole omniprésent en Sicile !
Si vous allez en Sicile, vous retrouverez ces superbes têtes en céramique un peu partout, sculptées en forme de vases dans lesquelles on y insère des plantes, ou que l’on retrouve sur les tables (en format réduit) pour y insérer des condiments et biscottes lorsqu’on vous sert l’apéro et les antipastis. Plusieurs commerçants, ainsi que nombre de résidents siciliens, arborent fièrement ces céramiques en tant qu’objets décoratifs et représentatifs de leur culture. Mais pourquoi ?
Quelques légendes siciliennes se cachent derrière ces vases. Une 1ère histoire (légende) parle d’un jeune couple : un Maure et une Sicilienne.
Il était une fois, à l’époque de l’occupation arabe en Sicile, dans le quartier arabe de la Kalsa à Palerme, une belle jeune fille qui passait beaucoup de temps à s’occuper des plantes et des fleurs de son balcon. Un jour, un jeune militaire Maure qui passait non loin de sa demeure, la vit et tomba éperdument amoureux d’elle. Il lui déclara son amour, et la jeune femme, surprise et confuse, tomba à son tour amoureuse de l’audacieux jeune soldat. Toutefois, lorsqu’elle apprend que le jeune homme était déjà marié, la nuit précédant son retour au pays, elle le tue en lui tranchant la tête afin qu’ils demeurent ensemble pour toujours. Elle utilisa ensuite sa tête comme pot pour un plant de basilic, symbole de passion et de royauté. La plante devint si belle que les voisins, envieux, commencèrent à façonner des vases similaires pour tenter d’égaler les exploits botanistes de la veuve sicilienne.
Cette histoire n’est d’ailleurs aucunement liée à celle de Saint-Maurice le martyr, pas plus que l’histoire qui suit.
Une autre histoire (légende) nous vient cette fois de la ville portuaire de Messina (en Sicile), également porte d’accès au continent, et de ce fait, à l’Italie.
C’est l’histoire d’Elisabetta et de Lorenzo. Elisabetta était fille de riches marchands de Messina. Lorenzo était un beau jeune homme issu d’une famille modeste de Pise, mais également serviteur pour la famille d’Elisabetta. Comme on peut s’en douter, ils tombèrent amoureux. Lorsque les frères d’Elisabetta découvrirent cet amour interdit, ils tuèrent Lorenzo et firent disparaître le corps. Inconsolable, la pauvre Elisabetta trouva le lieu où le corps de Lorenzo avait été caché, trancha la tête de ce dernier et l’emporta avec elle dans sa chambre, puis enfouit la tête de Lorenzo dans un pot de basilic. La jeune femme passa le reste de sa vie à pleurer et à parler à la plante de basilic, jusqu’à sa mort. On ignore combien d’années a duré ce deuil si douloureux.
La Sicile, tout comme la Sardaigne et la Corse sont voisins immédiats du nord-ouest africain, une zone continentale occupée par les arabes depuis des millénaires. L’héritage arabe est d’ailleurs omniprésent en Sicile, autant dans l’art et l’architecture que dans l’agriculture et la cuisine sicilienne. Les légendes mauresques font partie de cet héritage.
(texte trouvé sur Internet, et repris par Claude Lina dans sa galerie Flickr).
Yellow Rose
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Facts About Rose and Roses
The birthplace of the cultivated Rose was probably Northern Persia (Current IRAN), on the Caspian, or Faristan on the Gulf of Persia.
Historically, the oldest Rose fossils have been found in Colorado, dating back to more than 35 million years ago.
Roses were considered the most sacred flowers in ancient Egypt and were used as offerings for the Goddess Isis. Roses have also been found in Egyptian tombs, where they were formed into funerary wreaths.
Confucius, 551 BC to 479 BC, reported that the Imperial Chinese library had many books on Roses.
Ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia (in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley) mentioned Roses in a cuneiform tablet (a system of writing) written in approximately 2860 BC.
The English were already cultivating and hybridizing Roses in the 15th Century when the English War of Roses took place. The winner of the war, Tudor Henry VII, created the Rose of England (Tudor Rose) by crossbreeding other Roses.
While no Black Rose yet exists, there are some of such a deep Red color as to suggest Black.
Roses are omnipresent and grown over all parts of the globe.
The Netherlands is the world's leading exporter of Roses.
The Netherlands, with about 8000 hectares of land under Rose cultivation, is the global leader in Rose cultivation. 54 per cent (about 5000 hectares) of the cultivated land in Ecuador is under Rose cultivation!! Zambia, a small nation, had 80 per cent of its cultivated land under Roses.
Classification of Roses
Broadly, Roses are divided into three classes-
Species Roses
Species Roses are often called Wild Species Roses. Species Roses often have relatively simple, 5-petaled flowers followed by very colorful hips that last well into the winter, providing food for birds and winter color.
The most popular Rose species for sale today is Rosa rugosa owing to its superior hardiness, disease resistance, and extremely easy maintenance. Species roses are widely hybridized. Wild Species Roses include many different varieties. Wild Species Roses usually bloom once in the summer.
Old Garden Roses
Old Garden Roses have a delicate beauty and wonderful perfume, not often found in modern hybrid tea roses. Old Garden Roses are a diverse group from the those with a wonderful fragrance and great winter hardiness to the tender and lovely tea roses, which are best suited for warm climates.
Old Garden Roses comprise a multifaceted group that in general are easy to grow, disease-resistant and winter-hardy. Old Garden Roses grow in several shrub and vine sizes. Although colors do vary, this class of Roses are usually white or pastel in color. These "antique Roses" are generally preferred for lawns and home gardens. Several groupings of Roses classified as Old Garden Roses are China Roses, Tea Roses, Moss Roses, Damask Roses, Bourbon Roses, etc.
Modern Roses
Old Garden Roses are the predecessors of Modern Roses. Any Rose identified after 1867, is considered a Modern Rose. This group of Roses are very popular. The Modern Rose is the result of crossbreeding the hybrid tea with the polyanthus (a variety of primrose).
The colors of Modern Roses are varied, rich and vibrant. The most popular roses found in the class of Modern Roses are the Hybrid Tea Roses, Floribunda Roses, and Grandiflora Roses. Although Modern Roses are adored by florists and gardeners, they do require proper care, and do not adapt well to colder environments.
Facts About Roses
The birthplace of the cultivated Rose was probably Northern Persia, on the Caspian, or Faristan on the Gulf of Persia.
Historically, the oldest Rose fossils have been found in Colorado, dating back to more than 35 million years ago.
Roses were considered the most sacred flowers in ancient Egypt and were used as offerings for the Goddess Isis. Roses have also been found in Egyptian tombs, where they were formed into funerary wreaths.
Confucius, 551 BC to 479 BC, reported that the Imperial Chinese library had many books on Roses.
Ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia (in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley) mentioned Roses in a cuneiform tablet (a system of writing) written in approximately 2860 BC.
The English were already cultivating and hybridizing Roses in the 15th Century when the English War of Roses took place. The winner of the war, Tudor Henry VII, created the Rose of England (Tudor Rose) by crossbreeding other Roses.
While no Black Rose yet exists, there are some of such a deep Red color as to suggest Black.
Roses are omnipresent and grown over all parts of the globe.
The Netherlands is the world's leading exporter of Roses.
The Netherlands, with about 8000 hectares of land under Rose cultivation, is the global leader in Rose cultivation. 54 per cent (about 5000 hectares) of the cultivated land in Ecuador is under Rose cultivation!! Zambia, a small nation, had 80 per cent of its cultivated land under Roses.
Classification of Roses
Broadly, Roses are divided into three classes-
Species Roses
Species Roses are often called Wild Species Roses. Species Roses often have relatively simple, 5-petaled flowers followed by very colorful hips that last well into the winter, providing food for birds and winter color.
The most popular Rose species for sale today is Rosa rugosa owing to its superior hardiness, disease resistance, and extremely easy maintenance. Species roses are widely hybridized. Wild Species Roses include many different varieties. Wild Species Roses usually bloom once in the summer.
Old Garden Roses
Old Garden Roses have a delicate beauty and wonderful perfume, not often found in modern hybrid tea roses. Old Garden Roses are a diverse group from the those with a wonderful fragrance and great winter hardiness to the tender and lovely tea roses, which are best suited for warm climates.
Old Garden Roses comprise a multifaceted group that in general are easy to grow, disease-resistant and winter-hardy. Old Garden Roses grow in several shrub and vine sizes. Although colors do vary, this class of Roses are usually white or pastel in color. These "antique Roses" are generally preferred for lawns and home gardens. Several groupings of Roses classified as Old Garden Roses are China Roses, Tea Roses, Moss Roses, Damask Roses, Bourbon Roses, etc.
Modern Roses
Old Garden Roses are the predecessors of Modern Roses. Any Rose identified after 1867, is considered a Modern Rose. This group of Roses are very popular. The Modern Rose is the result of crossbreeding the hybrid tea with the polyanthus (a variety of primrose).
The colors of Modern Roses are varied, rich and vibrant. The most popular roses found in the class of Modern Roses are the Hybrid Tea Roses, Floribunda Roses, and Grandiflora Roses. Although Modern Roses are adored by florists and gardeners, they do require proper care, and do not adapt well to colder environments.
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From the flower Expert
www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/rose
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The Meaning of Rose Colors
Red Rose--------------Love, Beauty, Courage and Respect, Romantic Love, Congratulations, "I Love You", "Job Well Done", Sincere Love, Respect, Courage & Passion
Red Rose (Dark)-------Unconscious beauty
Red Rose (Single)-----"I Love You"
Deep Burgundy Rose----Unconscious Beauty
White Rose------------Purity, Innocence, Silence, Secrecy, Reverence, Humility, Youthfulness, "I am worthy of you", Heavenly
White Rose(Bridal)----Happy love
Pink Rose-------------Appreciation, "Thank you", Grace, Perfect Happiness, Admiration, Gentleness, "Please Believe Me"
Dark Pink Rose--------Appreciation, Gratitude, "Thank You"
Light Pink Rose-------Admiration, Sympathy, Gentleness, Grace, Gladness, Joy, Sweetness
Yellow Rose-----------Joy, Gladness, Friendship, Delight, Promise of a new beginning, Welcome Back, Remember Me, Jealousy, "I care"
Yellow Rose, Red Tip--Friendship, Falling in Love
Orange Rose-----------Desire, Enthusiasm
Red and White Rose----Given together, these signify unity
Red and Yellow Rose---Jovial and Happy Feelings
Peach Rose------------Appreciation, Closing the deal, Let's get together, Sincerity, Gratitude
Pale Peach Rose-------Modesty
Coral Rose------------Desire
Lavender Rose---------Love at first sight, Enchantment
Orange Rose-----------Enthusiasm, Desire, Fascination
Black Rose------------Death, Farewell
Blue Rose-------------The unattainable, the impossible
Single, any color-----Simplicity, Gratitude
Red Rosebud-----------Symbolic of purity and loveliness
White Rosebud---------Symbolic of girlhood
Thornless Rose--------"Love at first sight"
Macro / Rose Flower / Rose Macro / Macro Rose / closeup rose / peach / closeup rose / Rose closeup
From the site:
www.twitter.com/Memoire2cite « Non aux bidonvilles, non aux villes-bidon. L'urbanisme est un acte politique au service du peuple ». L'Atelier populaire des Beaux-Arts, en mai 1968, cristallise derrière ce slogan le mécontentement croissant face à la fabrique de la ville et à la multiplication de ce qu’on commence à appeler les Grands Ensembles. Délinquance juvénile, ennui, dépression, prostitution, ségrégation spatiale et sous-équipement... tels sont les symptômes d'une nouvelle maladie qui, selon L'Echo Régional du 22 mars 1962, frappe les villes dans les années 1960 : la « sarcellite ». Ce jugement très sévère sur les Grands Ensembles est partagé à la fois par les sociologues comme par les géographes voire par les politiques à en juger par le titre d'une note interne de la Commission Nationale du Logement en 1975 : « Grands Ensembles, grands problèmes ».Les quelques albums pour enfants qui entendent parler de l'époque dans laquelle leurs jeunes lecteurs vivent reprennent en cœur cette image austère de tours et de barres grises sans charmes. À l'instar de C'est le bouquet, de Claude Roy et Alain Le Foll édité en 1963 par Robert Delpire, l'extension horizontale de la fleur qui parvient à pousser à travers le béton et dans laquelle les habitants de la cité viennent se lover s'oppose à l'empilement des appartements dans les nombreuses tours. De la même façon, le troisième album des « Barbapapas », série créée en 1968, dénonce ces grandes barres grises qui brisent le rêve et l’imagination. Pourtant, face à cette critique qui met en avant davantage l'aspect esthétique ou inesthétique, une série, parue aux éditions La Farandole, fait résistance et entend porter un tout autre regard sur les Grands Ensembles et notamment sur le cadre de vie de ses habitants. Les six albums de la série « Nicole », réalisés entre 1969 et 1978, sont une idée d'Andrée Clair, auteure confirmée et militante communiste, mise en images par la toute jeune illustratrice débutante Bernadette Després.
La série des Nicole constitue probablement le témoignage d’un autre courant né dans les années 1960 mais qui s’affirme au sein de la gauche française et particulièrement du PCF après 1968 : il s’agit de la « Deuxième Gauche ». Dans cet article, il s’agira donc de montrer en quoi cette série peut être rattachée à ce nouveau courant et comment elle fait rupture avec le discours habituel sur les Grands Ensembles. Pour ce faire, nous entreprendrons d'abord de décrire la représentation des Grands Ensembles dans le paysage pictural français des albums pour enfants à la fin des années 1960. Ensuite, l’intentionnalité éditoriale qui a donné le jour à la série des « Nicole » dans la collection « Mille Images » sera interrogée. Enfin, les représentations et le discours socio-spatial original portés par la série sur les Grands Ensembles seront analysés. Grands chantiers, grands ensembles
1 « Quarante mille voisins », Cinq colonnes à la Une, Radiodiffusion de la Télévision Française, 2 dé (...)
« Dans quelques années, quand vous traverserez la banlieue parisienne, c’est en hélicoptère sans doute que vous irez. Et partout, vous survolerez des villes dans le genre de celle-ci. On les appelle les Grands Ensembles. On les appelle les villes-dortoirs. Elles doivent permettre aux familles de vivre loin de l’agitation et de l’air malsain des grandes cités. Elles existent dans le monde entier. Les urbanistes et les sociologues leur consacrent des volumes et des congrès1. »
C’est par ces mots que le journaliste de l’émission de télévision, Cinq colonnes à la Une, Pierre Tchernia, survolant en hélicoptère Sarcelles, présente en 1960 ce phénomène urbanistique original et sans réel précédent en France si l’on considère la vitesse de sa diffusion et l’ampleur des chantiers occasionnés. Le Ministère de la Reconstruction et de l’Urbanisme fut le moteur de ces constructions d’habitations mécanisées, préfabriquées et montées en série qui répondaient à une demande urgente de logements au lendemain de la Seconde guerre mondiale. Le Ministère se dota d’un arsenal de lois et de programmes de construction comme le programme de logements économique de première nécessité en 1955 et le décret du 31 décembre 1958 qui créa des Zones à Urbaniser en Priorité (ZUP) aux marges des grandes villes. Entre 1953 et 1978, ce sont 300 000 logements par an qui furent ainsi ouverts à l’habitation à loyer modéré. Plus de six millions de logements furent construits au total. L’émission de Cinq Colonnes à la Une se situe près de cinq ans après l’ouverture des premiers chantiers et l’on sent déjà dans le ton du journaliste le doute s’installer. « Elles doivent permettre aux familles de vivre loin de l’agitation et de l’air malsain des grandes cités », nous dit-il. Ces constructions commanditées par l’Etat, ayant recours aux méthodes de construction les plus modernes doivent améliorer les conditions de vie des habitants. Mais d’ailleurs comment nommer ces habitations ? On sent que le journaliste hésite : « grands ensembles », « villes dortoirs » ? En 1963, le géographe Yves Lacoste entreprend de donner une définition : Yves Lacoste, « Un problème complexe et débattu : les Grands Ensembles », Bulletin de l’Association (...)
Le Grand Ensemble apparaît comme une unité d’habitation relativement autonome formée de bâtiments collectifs, édifiés dans un assez bref laps de temps, en fonction d’un plan global qui comprend plus de 1000 logements environ2.
Raphaële Bertho, « Les grands ensembles », Études photographiques, 31, printemps 2014, [en ligne], (...)
cf. à ce propos Raphaële Bertho, op. cit.
Par « bâtiments collectifs », il faut comprendre une architecture de barres et de tours édifiées sur des zones d’implantation assez vastes ayant en commun d’appartenir à une même opération de grande envergure et visant à offrir des logements à loyer relativement bon marché. Raphaële Bertho souligne qu’avec le début des années 1960, « de réalisations glorieuses d’une Nation tournée vers l’avenir, [les grands ensembles] deviennent les symboles d’un État planificateur imbu de sa puissance3. » C’est d’ailleurs cette « toute puissance » qui est donnée à voir dans les premières images de Cinq Colonnes à la Une par une vue oblique depuis l’hélicoptère. L’observateur domine la création, l’aménagement et l’organisation humains. C’est tout le génie de l’architecte-urbaniste qui est mis en exergue ici dans ces images qui reprennent d’ailleurs une représentation très fréquente4 de ces manifestations bétonnées de la « modernisation triomphante ». Raphaële Bertho insiste sur l’image de cet « urbanisme nouveau » des Grands Ensembles qui est donnée par les services de l’État :
Dominique Gauthey, « Les archives de la reconstruction (1945-1979) », Etudes géographiques, n°3, no (...)
Raphaële Bertho, op. cit.
Les Grands Ensembles y sont présentés comme l’anticipation en actes d’une ville pensée et prévue pour l’homme, cités idéales où l’on retrouve l’importance accordée au soleil, à l’espace et à la verdure dans le credo moderniste. Une orientation manifeste, que l’on observe notamment dans la mise en scène des clichés lors des Salons des arts ménagers dans les années 1950, lesquels sont les vecteurs privilégiés de cette « planification intégrale du bonheur5 » auprès du public. Celui-ci est ainsi accueilli par la vision d’enfants profitant des espaces de loisirs nouvellement aménagés dans ces “cités radieuses”.Les enfants ont ainsi toute leur place dans ces projets modernes. Ces derniers sont en grande partie construits pour eux, part de la population française la plus nombreuse dans ce tout début de baby-boom. Louis Caro, « Psychiatres et sociologues dénoncent la folie des grands ensembles », Sciences et Vie(...)
L’Humanité du 5 novembre 1963.
Pourtant dès 1959, les grands ensembles sont mis sur la sellette. Dans Science et Vie, Louis Caro consacre un article entier à la formation des bandes de voyous dans les Grands Ensembles7. Dans les années 1962-1963, Sarcelles et ses avatars subissent de sévères critiques depuis qu’un des occupants d’une tour s’est défenestré. Les médias commencent à parler de « sarcellite », une maladie qui toucherait les habitants de Sarcelles et de tous les Grands Ensembles. Ainsi est-elle définie dans les colonnes de L’Humanité en 1963 : « Sarcellite, total désenchantement, indifférence à la vie sociale, ennui insurmontable, aboutissant à la dépression nerveuse dans les cas bénins, au suicide dans les cas aigus8. » Dès lors, les grands ensembles ne sont plus aussi radieux pour les enfants qui y habitent et il conviendrait peut-être de grandir ailleurs qu’à l’ombre des tours et des barres de béton armé. Claude Roy, Alain Le Fol, C’est le bouquet ! Gallimard, 1979, p.9.
10C’est à cette même époque que l’édition pour enfants s’intéresse au sujet et principalement certaines petites maisons d’édition. En 1963, Robert Delpire publie une histoire écrite par Claude Roy et mise en images par Alain Le Fol : C’est le bouquet ! Deux enfants, Claudelun et Claudelune, habitent au neuvième étage d’une tour d’un « Grand Ensemble de 2000 maisons avec un total de 200 000 appartements9 » situé tout près de Paris. La famille qui vivait jusque là dans des « coins-recoins-celliers-et-machin » au cœur de Paris, avait subi la crise du logement et était venue s’installer en banlieue dans des habitations imaginées par un Architecte malin :
L’Architecte, avec sa règle graduée, son équerre et sa bouteille d’encre de Chine, l’Architecte avait pensé à tout. Il avait prévu un vide-épluchures et vide-bouteilles, un vide-poussière et un vide-enfants. Mais il n’avait pas prévu les gens, et les gens s’ennuyaient dans tout ce ciment, ce verre, et ce vent, dans ces grands appartements tous pareils, qui ressemblaient à des cages à mouches empilées dans le ciel.
Roy, Cana, C’est le bouquet ! (1963), p. 10-11. © GallimardLa description qui est faite par Claude Roy d’un grand ensemble rejoint en tout point les griefs formulés contre ces grandes constructions grises : la tristesse, la monotonie, le fonctionnalisme poussé à l’excès. Les illustrations d’Alain Le Fol jouent sur l’opposition des constructions grises atoniques et de la « nature » multicolore. Cette opposition est développée tout au long de l’histoire, d’abord avec l’Oiseau Moqueur qui voit s’installer la famille, ensuite avec la croissance d’une plante semée accidentellement par l’un des deux enfants. Au début de l’histoire, la tour est perçue comme un supplice, une punition infligée aux enfants. L’Oiseau Moqueur se demande d’ailleurs : « Qu’est-ce qu’ils ont donc fait pour avoir mérité d’être enfermés dans ces cages-à-gens11 ? » Plus loin, lorsque la Mère veut calmer ses enfants qui semblent tourner en rond dans l’appartement, « elle les mettait dans le vide-enfants et ils allaient s’ennuyer sur le tas de sable à enfants à air conditionné ». À la fin, la fraxilumèle, cette plante aux couleurs merveilleuses, a dépassé les tours et envahi le Grand Ensemble. Elle est devenue l’aire de jeu la plus réjouissante dans laquelle enfants et adultes se retrouvent et s’amusent. On retrouvera cette même opposition entre la grisaille du béton et les couleurs liées au rêve et à l’enchantement dans un album de 1979 publié par le Père Castor, Fleur de béton de Michel Gansel et Monique Touvay. Dans cet ouvrage, trois jeunes garçons d’une cité HLM sortent de l’école et vont rendre visite à un de leur camarade malade et alité. Pour lui remonter le moral, ils lui confectionnent une grande fleur multicolore.Gansel, Touvay, Fleur de béton (1979), p. 4-5. © Père Castor/Flammarion
En 1968, Talus Taylor, un biologiste de San Francisco, rencontre à Paris une jeune architecte française, Annette Tison. Tous les deux imaginent sur une nappe de la brasserie Zeyer, place d’Alésia, un personnage hors norme, protéiforme, d’un rose très vif : Barbapapa. Ce dernier est né d’une graine et a pris naissance dans la Terre. Le premier album est publié en 1970 par la toute récente maison d’édition de l’École des loisirs. Deux ans plus tard, Barbapapa qui s’est construit une famille multicolore doit fuir une ville livrée à la démolition. Il est alors relogé dans de Grands Ensembles où il vit très mal l’entassement et l’ennui. La famille Barbapapa quitte alors la ville pour aller s’installer à la campagne.
Tison, Taylor, La Maison de Barbapapa (1972), p. 8-9. © Le Dragon d’or Ces trois ouvrages sont assez représentatifs du peu d’albums qui évoquent et représentent les grands ensembles entre 1960 et 1970. Le discours est toujours le même : éloigner les enfants de la « sarcellite » qui ne peut être qu’inéluctable dans ces grandes constructions que l’on s’emploie à représenter grises et tristes, sans joie et sans vie. Ce discours sera d’ailleurs maintenu bien après 1968. Cependant, à côté de cette production rare de quelques petits éditeurs et du silence des grandes maisons d’édition pour la jeunesse telles qu’Hachette, la série des « Nicole » a su attirer notre attention. Son discours sur les Grands Ensembles est à la fois très favorable et très engagé.
Sous le béton, la plage ! Nicole au quinzième étage est la première aventure d’une série de six éditée par La Farandole en 1969. Nicole et sa famille viennent d’emménager dans un appartement situé au quinzième étage d’une tour HLM. La jeune fille s’extasie, apprécie le confort et passe sa journée à la fenêtre à regarder la ville depuis le quinzième étage. Dans le deuxième album, Nicole et l’ascenseur (1971), c’est la diversité régnant dans cette tour de dix-huit étages qui est célébrée. Nicole dans le grand pré (1973) et Nicole et l’étoile de mer (1978) montrent qu’au cœur des Grands Ensembles existent des espaces verts de loisirs dans lesquels les enfants peuvent s’ébattre et s’épanouir au contact de la nature. Dans Nicole ne voit plus rien (1975), une panne d’électricité, aléa du modernisme, plonge la cité HLM dans le noir. Enfin Nicole et Djamila (1976) traite de la découverte de l’altérité au sein de ces grands ensembles qui ont accueilli une grande partie de la population immigrée venue offrir son travail en France depuis le milieu des années 1950. Ces six albums couvrent près de dix ans. La série se termine en 1978 et correspond, presque par hasard, avec la fin des politiques publiques des Grands Ensembles. Tous les albums en donnent une vision extrêmement positive. Aucune des illustrations ne montre de la grisaille, bien au contraire, tous les albums utilisent des couleurs très vives. L’illustratrice, Bernadette Després, n’a jamais recours au noir ou au gris pour dessiner les contours des Grands Ensembles mais au jaune d’or ou au bleu. La série toute entière, appartenant à la collection « Mille images » de la maison d’édition communiste La Farandole, est consacrée au bonheur de vivre dans les Grands Ensembles. On serait alors tenté de croire qu’il s’agit d’une prise de position politique éditoriale très marquée, rendant hommage à l’amélioration de la vie de la classe ouvrière. Cependant, il n’en est rien. D’autres ouvrages, publiés par La Farandole à la même époque que la série des Nicole, ont un discours très critique sur les Grands Ensembles.: Garonnaire, La Tour part en voyage (1974), couverture. © La Farandole
Prenons par exemple La Tour part en voyage de Jean Garonnaire en 1974. Les habitants d’une tour attristés par la vie au milieu de la cité HLM décident de desceller leur tour du sol pour l’emmener à la campagne, au milieu des bois et des prairies fleuries. Nous retrouvons ici encore une opposition ville/campagne, anthropisation/nature, qui semble être le courant dominant dans la littérature de jeunesse de l’époque qui veut bien s’intéresser à ce phénomène urbain. Il en va de même pour Grégoire et la grande cité (1979) de Jean-Pierre Serenne et Sylvia Maddonni où, dès la couverture, l’opposition cité HLM/champs fleuris est annoncé. : Serenne, Maddonni, Grégoire et la grande cité (1979), couverture. © La Farandole La ligne idéologique de La Farandole n’est donc pas fixée sur ce sujet à l’instar, d’ailleurs, de la ligne politique des membres du parti communiste français au sein duquel les avis sur la question des Grands Ensembles sont très partagés. Rappelons que L’Humanité fut l’un des premiers quotidiens à parler de « sarcellite » et que la jeunesse communiste de mai 1968 revendique davantage un urbaniste au service du peuple que le contraire. Il faut donc bien l’admettre, la série des « Nicole » est une œuvre originale dans le paysage de la littérature de jeunesse de cette époque et elle doit davantage son idéologie marquée pour les Grands Ensembles au militantisme de son auteure, Andrée Clair, qu’à celui de la maison d’édition ou du parti politique auquel elle se trouve rattachée. Hélène Bonnefond, « Les années "Lilenstein" de La Farandole », La Revue des livres pour enfants, n° (...) Ce à quoi semblent véritablement attachées Paulette Michel, l’épouse de Jean Jérôme, membre dirigeant du PCF, et Madeleine Gilard, les deux fondatrices de La Farandole en 1955, est une forme de « parler vrai » et de « montrer vrai ». Ceci peut se concevoir comme une véritable ligne éditoriale novatrice au milieu des années 1950. Hélène Bonnefond note que chez certains petits éditeurs comme La Farandole mais aussi Delpire, Harlin Quist ou l’École des Loisirs, « de plus en plus se développe l’idée que la jeunesse est un lectorat qui ne doit pas être restreint à des lectures angéliques, qu’il est capable de lire des histoires qui sont le reflet de la réalité sociale, culturelle, scientifique ou historique ». Sébastien Jolis, « Du logement au cadre de vie. Mobilisations associatives et vie sociale dans les (...)
22Comme le montre Sébastien Jolis14, au sein même du PCF, le regard sur les Grands Ensembles change au lendemain de mai 1968. La rupture est même consommée le 25 novembre de cette même année, après la journée nationale d’étude sur les équipements sociaux et culturels. En effet, si certains continuent à remettre en cause le financement par l’État de projets immobiliers collectifs, minimisant la place allouée aux équipements socio-culturels, d’autres, issus de la « Deuxième Gauche », qui s’étaient opposés au totalitarisme et au colonialisme, défendent une gestion partagée par les usagers des ZUP, une sorte de réappropriation des Grands Ensembles par la culture et les usagers eux-mêmes. C’est très sûrement avec la connaissance de cette faille au sein du PCF qu’il faut lier et comprendre le travail d’Andrée Clair dans la série des Nicole.
Andrée Clair, de son vrai nom Renée Jung, est née en 1916. Elle grandit dans la banlieue parisienne où son père est contrôleur des PTT et sa mère femme au foyer. Elle fait des études d’ethnologie à la Sorbonne puis part à Brazzaville où elle décroche un poste d’ethnologue assistante. Elle reste en Afrique pendant plusieurs années et y exerce plusieurs emplois liés à l’enseignement. Militante communiste, en 1949 elle est rapatriée d’office pour avoir contribué au développement du mouvement syndical africain. Elle retourne en Afrique après les indépendances et, de 1961 à 1974, elle devient conseillère culturelle du président Hamani Diori au Niger. Forcée de rentrer en France après le renversement de ce dernier, elle s’installe à Paris puis à Dreux où elle décèdera en 1982. Andrée Clair, « Pourquoi et pour qui j’écris ? », Enfance, tome 9, n°3, 1956, p.75.
Elle collabore avec les éditions de La Farandole depuis 1957. Elle écrit pour la jeunesse des romans et des albums qui ont très souvent pour toile de fond l’Afrique : Eau ficelée et ficelle de fumée (1957), Aminatou (1959), Dijé (1961), Les Découvertes d’Alkassoum (1964). Andrée Clair est une véritable militante engagée dans la vie sociale. En 1956, dans un numéro de la revue Enfance, elle écrit : « Pourquoi j’écris ? Pour remettre les choses en place. Autant que je le peux. Pour qui ? Pour les enfants, parce que... 15». Comme elle le dit elle-même, c’est la « rage » qui la pousse à écrire, celle de dénoncer le faux :
Ce n’est pas drôle d’avoir honte de la couleur de sa peau. Ce n’est pas drôle de découvrir que ce que vous avez toujours cru est faux. La rage déborda. Il fallait que je dise aux gens ce qu’était l’Afrique, l’enseignement, le racisme permanent, la vie de chaque jour. Il fallait dire la vérité. Cette vérité si difficile à trouver ici, pour qui n’a que de « bonnes » lectures. Comment le dire, sinon en écrivant ? Pour qui écrire, sinon pour des enfants ? J’avais été trompée. Je voulais détromper @ Le projet des « Nicole » naît de cette même rage d’expliquer aux enfants. Dans un entretien que j’ai pu avoir avec l’illustratrice, Bernadette Després m’a appris que le premier volume de la série, Nicole au quinzième étage, était une réaction à l’ouvrage de Claude Roy et Alain Le Fol, C’est le bouquet ! Pour Andrée Clair, il fallait donner une autre image des cités. Elle regardait C’est le bouquet ! comme une littérature bourgeoise adressée à des enfants qui ne connaissaient pas et ne connaîtraient sans doute jamais les Grands Ensembles.
« Je tiens à l’absolue exactitude de ce que j’écris [...] : géographie, ethnologie, milieu, ambiance17 », écrit encore Andrée Clair. Lorsqu’elle a l’idée du personnage de Nicole et de sa première aventure, La Farandole lui fait rencontrer une jeune illustratrice qui travaille pour la maison depuis quatre ans, Bernadette Després. Cette dernière a la même envie que son auteure : dessiner la vie des enfants au plus près de la réalité, ne pas chercher à leur mentir. Dès leur première rencontre en 1968, Andrée Clair entreprend de faire découvrir à Bernadette Després ces Grands Ensembles qu’elle devra dessiner, elle qui a grandi dans le VIIe arrondissement de Paris. Andrée Clair a une amie qui vit au quinzième étage d’une tour HLM dans le quartier de l’Argonne à Orléans. Elle y emmène Bernadette Després, lui fait voir la ville du haut de la tour. Bernadette Després prend tout en notes, fait des croquis de l’appartement. Andrée Clair supervise le travail de l’illustratrice de façon à être au plus proche de la réalité, s’accordant parfois la liberté de gommer les signes religieux comme la cathédrale d’Orléans qui est remplacée par un château fort. Andrée Clair, comme tous les auteurs de littérature pour enfants de La Farandole, fait partie du co (...)
Andrée Clair mise donc sur la sérialité ainsi que sur des histoires vraies18 de tous les jours pour accrocher ses jeunes lecteurs et faire passer un certain nombre de valeurs. Cette intentionnalité, elle l’exprimait déjà en 1956 :
Je suis contre la guerre (d’oppression, de conquête) et pour les résistants. Je suis contre le racisme, la bêtise, les mesquineries, la méchanceté. Je suis pour la beauté, la gaieté, l’amitié, la dignité, la lucidité. Pour la joie et l’enthousiasme. Pour ce qui est simple et sain, réel et humain. C’est dans ce sens que je veux entrainer mes lecteurs. Cette intentionnalité, quasi idéologique, est à la fois sociale et spatiale dans la mesure où elle est, dans le cas de la série « Nicole », liée à un lieu : les Grands Ensembles. Le travail d’illustratrice de Bernadette Després devient très important dès lors qu’il s’agit de créer un iconotexte dans lequel le récit textuel veut être en interdépendance avec le récit iconique.
Le Paradis des enfants Dans le discours iconotextuel de la série des « Nicole », trois arguments majeurs sont développés en faveur des Grands Ensembles : l’amélioration du niveau de vie des habitants, les bienfaits du vivre ensemble et une sorte d’égalité au droit à la ville. Ce sont ces trois arguments que nous souhaiterions développer ici à partir de quelques planches extraites de la série et qui nous semblent révélateurs du tournant que put représenter 1968. Clair, Després, Nicole au quinzième étage (1969), p.2-3. © La Farandole @ Andrée Clair, Bernadette Després, Nicole au quinzième étage, La Farandole, 1969, p.2.
30« J’habite au quinzième étage. Depuis une semaine, depuis le 4 décembre. Avant, nous habitions une pièce et une cuisine, au rez-de-chaussée, au fond d’une cour. C’était tout petit et on ne voyait jamais le soleil20 ». Ainsi commence Nicole au quinzième étage. Et dès la première double page, l’illustratrice joue sur les oppositions : l’enfermement et l’exiguïté des petites maisons entassées sur la page de gauche (p. 3) contrastent avec l’élévation et la prise d’espace sur la page de droite (p. 4). Le Grand Ensemble est une conquête spatiale et la petite famille de Nicole (son père, sa mère, sa grande sœur et son petit frère) vont dorénavant vivre à cinq dans un trois pièces-cuisine. Clair, Després, Nicole au quinzième étage (1969), p.4-5. © La Farandole
Cette conquête spatiale continue à la double-page suivante (p. 5-6). Sur la page de gauche, Nicole regarde le nouveau quartier à ses pieds desservi par une ligne de chemin de fer et une route à grande circulation. Sur la page de droite, une vue cavalière de l’appartement laisse deviner son agencement : « Notre appartement a trois pièces, une cuisine, une salle d’eau, un couloir, un séchoir, des placards. Quelle place !21 ». L’appartement est fonctionnel : les pièces de « long séjour » (chambres, salle de séjour, cuisine), donnant toutes sur l’extérieur, s’organisent autour de pièces dites de « court séjour », aveugles (buanderie, toilettes, salle de bain). Ce logement répond aux exigences du moment, telles qu’elles ont pu être définies dès la Reconstruction par des architectes comme Auguste Perret : confort (ensoleillement, chambres des enfants et des parents séparées), modernité (cuisine équipée, sanitaires, eau courante, électricité) et flexibilité (cloisons fines permettant un réaménagement de l’espace). Les tours sont équipées d’un indispensable ascenseur pour desservir les dix-huit étages. Cette couleur très visible sur les originaux se transforme en un orange vif sur les épreuves.
32« Nous avons notre chambre pour nous toutes seules. Nous avons chacun notre lit. Luc, le tout petit frère, dort dans la chambre de papa et maman. Le soir, nous dînons dans la salle de séjour. À midi, papa mange à la cantine de son usine. Luc se régale avec sa bouillie et son fruit, puis maman, Janine et moi, nous déjeunons dans la cuisine. Elle est claire. Dans toutes les pièces, il y a des grandes fenêtres. Quand il y a du soleil, il entre partout22. » À plusieurs reprises le texte insiste sur le gain de place, sur l’amélioration des conditions de vie apportées à une famille ouvrière. L’omniprésence du soleil se retrouve dans les images dans lesquelles Bernadette Després a eu abondamment recours à la couleur or23. Les traits de crayons donnent à ces couleurs un effet de scintillement.
Clair, Després, Nicole ne voit plus rien (1975), p.8-9. © La Farandole Andrée Clair, Bernadette Després, Nicole ne voit plus rien, La Farandole, 1975, p.6 Andrée Clair, op. cit., p.77.
Dans Nicole ne voit plus rien, l’aléa d’une panne d’électricité plonge la tour entière dans le noir. Le modernisme a ses limites ! « Mais... il n’y a plus de lumières nulle part. Oh !... c’est une panne d’électricité. Ce n’est que ça ! Maintenant qu’elle sait, Nicole n’a presque plus peur24. » Dans cette aventure, Nicole, restée seule à la maison, va devoir surmonter ses peurs en regardant par la fenêtre, en continuant à accomplir ses tâches. L’accident est appréhendé de manière optimiste et constitue pour Andrée Clair une véritable leçon de vie. « J’affirme que l’optimisme, la gaieté, l’entrain sont une forme de courage25 », déclare-t-elle en 1956. Les Grands Ensembles sont également pour Andrée Clair des espaces de mixité sociale où la diversité et la découverte de l’altérité sont bien réelles. L’exemple de Nicole et l’ascenseur en est un premier aperçu. Dans la tour où habite Nicole, les ascenseurs sont en panne. La mère de Nicole, qui revient du marché, doit monter les quinze étages à pied avec ses courses et son enfant en bas âge. Arrivée au dixième étage, les sacs se renversent et toutes les provisions tombent dans les escaliers. Cet accident devient une formidable occasion pour les habitants de la tour de venir en aide à la famille de Nicole. La majeure partie de l’histoire se déroule dans la cage d’escalier qui s’enroule autour des ascenseurs. De cette longue colonne vertébrale de la tour, Bernadette Després en fait un espace multigénérationnel, où les habitants se rencontrent et s’entraident. On sait combien la découverte de l’altérité est un aspect très cher à Andrée Clair. Les Grands Ensembles sont justement des lieux qui permettent la rencontre de l’Autre. C’est d’ailleurs tout le propos de l’album Nicole et Djamila, paru en 1976. Le père de Nicole arrive un soir à la maison avec une petite fille, Djamila. Son père a eu un accident du travail et sa mère est encore à la maternité. Djamila va donc passer quelques jours dans la famille de Nicole. Les deux fillettes qui semblent avoir le même âge vont partager la même chambre. cf. Yves Gastaut, « La flambée raciste de 1973 en France », Revue européenne des migrations interna (...) On ne peut éviter de replacer cet album dans son contexte historique. L’album est publié en 1976 au moment où la France connaît une flambée raciste et ce depuis la première crise économique de 1973. Face à la montée du chômage, l’État réglemente de manière plus drastique l’immigration en fermant les frontières26 et en multipliant les ordres de quitter le territoire national. Des affrontements racistes éclatent entre les partisans de l’Ordre Nouveau, favorable au retour des immigrés, et des partisans du PCF, à Paris et à Lyon. À Grasse et à Marseille, dans le courant de l’automne et de l’été 1973, des agressions racistes contre des Algériens font cinquante morts et près de trois cents blessés. Nous avons déjà évoqué précédemment le dégoût d’Andrée Clair pour le racisme et la bêtise humaine. Ce cinquième album de la série correspond encore à ce qu’écrivait Andrée Clair en 1956 : Andrée Clair, op. cit., p.76.
Ne pas insister sur les différences qui, si apparentes soient-elles, restent superficielles : peau, cheveux, forme des maisons ou art culinaire ; mais faire remarquer discrètement ce qui est semblable : causes de joie ou de tristesse, ennuis, soucis de chaque jour. Insister sur la richesse du cœur, de la pensée, de l’art. [...] Expliquer, toujours expliquer @ Clair, Després, Nicole et Djamila (1976), couverture. © La Farandole Dès la couverture, Bernadette Després montre davantage ce qui réunit les deux fillettes que ce qui pourrait les séparer : toutes les deux ont le sourire et jouent à la poupée dans la chambre de Nicole où de nombreux jouets sont éparpillés sur le sol. Rien dans l’image ne laisse entendre que la fillette aux cheveux longs est une petite Algérienne si ce n’est dans le titre. Le rapprochement entre les deux fillettes est doublé par le rapprochement de leurs deux poupées.: Clair, Després, Nicole et Djamila (1976), p.8 © La Farandole Andrée Clair, Bernadette Després, op. cit., 1976, p.9. Les différences de culture sont très discrètes. L’image panoramique des pages 8-9 représente une scène de table : le père de Djamila a été invité chez les parents de Nicole. Les convives partagent un plat unique qui ressemble à un hachis Parmentier. Dans un phylactère émanant du père de Djamila, Bernadette Després a dessiné un repas chez les parents de Djamila : « On n’a pas encore fêté la naissance de Karim. Samedi, nous invitons des amis. Ma femme voudrait que vous veniez. Moi aussi28. » Retour de bon procédé, les convives partagent un couscous. D’après Bernadette Després, Andrée Clair avait absolument tenu à ce que la famille algérienne soit assise sur des chaises et non par terre de façon à ce qu’on ne puisse pas se moquer d’eux. Pour terminer cette analyse de la série des « Nicole », un dernier aspect qui ne semble pas évident au premier coup d’œil le devient dès lors que l’on abandonne le point de vue contemporain et que l’on se replace dans le contexte de cette fin des années 1960. La série semble redéfinir la ville. Du haut de sa tour Nicole voit la ville se déployer, sortir de ses anciennes limites. La périphérie, les banlieues qu’elle habite s’étendent avec le développement des Grands Ensembles. Le phénomène peut parler à n’importe quel enfant dans la mesure où il est général à la France entière. Ces transformations fondamentales, ces transmutations de la ville industrielle en une forme tentaculaire, perceptibles dans les albums de la série, un philosophe les décrit, les analyse et s’en alerte en 1968, c’est Henri Lefebvre Henri Lefebvre, Le Droit à la ville, Anthropos, 1968 (2009), p. 8. Le Droit à la ville paraît en mars 1968. Dans cet ouvrage, Lefebvre décrit le processus « d’implosion-explosion » que subissent toutes les villes des grands pays industriels : « Les gens se déplacent vers des périphéries lointaines, résidentielles ou productives. Des bureaux remplacent les logements dans les centres urbains29. » Au terme de « ville », qu’il conserve pour parler des villes industrielles d’avant 1945, le philosophe préfère le terme de « tissu urbain » ou « d’urbain ». Cette réalité nouvelle affirme l’éclatement de la ville classique en périphéries industrielles, pavillonnaires ou faites de grands ensembles et le grignotement progressif de la campagne. Lefebvre alerte des dangers potentiels de cette urbanisation « capitaliste » qui subordonne la campagne à l’urbain, qui empêche l’appropriation par ses habitants, qui créé des îlots de pauvreté à la marge et qui renforce une centralité soumise à l’argent. Pour Lefebvre, les habitants des quartiers périphériques, dénués selon lui d’urbanité, se verraient spolier leur « droit à la ville ». Est-ce l’impression qui se dégage des planches de la série des Nicole ? Non. Nicole et le grand pré (1973), Nicole et l’étoile de mer (1978).Sébastien Jolis, op. cit., p. 42. On pourrait dire, bien au contraire, qu’à travers les différentes aventures de Nicole dans sa cité HLM, Andrée Clair revendique un « droit à la ville pour tous ». La famille de Nicole, en occupant un humble deux pièces au fond d’une cour dans le centre-ville, se trouvait finalement à la marge de la ville, ne pouvant profiter d’aucune des innovations offertes par la modernisation. Habiter les Grands Ensembles a permis à cette famille d’y avoir accès et, en même temps, de jouir des services de la ville. La cité HLM, située en périphérie, n’est pas déconnectée du centre-ville : les moyens de transport (lignes de bus, chemin de fer) sont régulièrement représentés dans les histoires. Le lien avec la « nature » est toujours maintenu. Dans deux des albums de la série30, Nicole passe ses loisirs dans un « centre aéré » situé à proximité de chez elle : le Grand Pré. Pour ce centre aéré, Andrée Clair s’est inspirée du centre aéré de la ville de Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (Indre-et-Loire), Les Grands Arbres. Ce centre a été créé en 1964, en bord de Loire, à quelques mètres de Grands Ensembles, et continue à recevoir les enfants de la ville sous des tentes plantées au milieu d’une prairie ombragée. Il constitue un élément, voire une infrastructure paysagère, sur lequel les partisans de la « Deuxième Gauche » vont s’appuyer pour modifier le regard porté au Grands Ensembles après 1968. En mobilisant l’attention sur le cadre de vie, ils défendent « une amélioration de leur condition d’habitat, en rejetant l’idée d’un divorce entre les habitants et leur habitat en grand ensemble31 ». Clair, Després, Nicole et Djamila (1976), p.3. (détail) © La Farandol Enfin, à de nombreuses occasions, Bernadette Després représente la vue depuis la fenêtre de la cuisine ou de la chambre de Nicole : il s’agit du centre-ville, de son château et de ses vieilles maisons, de sa gare et de ses usines. Cette vue est, au même titre que les quelques images accrochées au mur et qui représentent la montagne ou la campagne, un tableau. Cette vue de la ville quasi-omniprésente dans les albums est la manifestation d’une sorte d’appropriation de la ville. À la différence des images encadrées, le centre-ville lui est bien réel, aisément accessible, à portée d’œil et de main La cité HLM n’est pas un espace sans vie, sans âme. Elle est, sous la plume d’Andrée Clair et les pinceaux de Bernadette Després une émanation de la ville, une partie parfaitement connectée au reste du tissu urbain. Elle est le lieu qui donne aux classes populaires « droit à la ville ». Voilà en quelques mots l’intentionnalité socio-spatiale qui est présente à travers les six volumes de la série des Nicole. Cette intentionnalité, on l’a vu, n’est pas éditoriale mais est propre à une auteure engagée et militante, défendant le réalisme au nom d’un certain nombre de valeurs telles que la tolérance, le droit au bonheur, l’amélioration du niveau de vie pour tous Peu d’ouvrages pour enfants se sont intéressés au phénomène des Grands Ensembles et quand ce fut le cas, ce fut presque tout le temps pour les dénigrer et en présenter les dangers. La série des Nicole apparaît alors comme une exception, une originalité, qui entend s’adresser aux enfants et, à travers eux, aux adultes qu’ils deviendront. Pour Andrée Clair, écrire pour les enfants c’est les aider à grandir.
Andrée Clair, op. cit., p.76. En parlant de Moudaïna ou Deux enfants au cœur de l’Afrique (1952), Andrée Clair écrivait : « Il reste toujours quelque chose des livres d’enfants que l’on a aimés. Les lecteurs de ce livre ne pensent peut-être plus aux enfants noirs comme ils y penseraient s’ils ne l’avaient pas lu. C’est un point de gagné contre le racisme et contre la bêtise. Car jamais deux monstruosités n’ont été si bien ensemble que ces deux-là32 » Marie-Claude Monchaux, Écrits Pour nuire, Paris, UNI, 1985, p. 12 Ibid., p. 54.
47La série des « Nicole » entendait « parler vrai » aux enfants. Ce « parler vrai », ce « montrer vrai » de la société et de ce qui entoure l’enfant a pu passer, aux yeux de certains critiques conservateurs, pour de la littérature de jeunesse subversive. En 1985, par exemple, Marie-Claude Monchaux, dans Écrits pour nuire, mène une campagne à charge contre ce « volontaire pourrissement qu’on constate dans les livres pour enfants depuis 196833 ». Ce qu’elle reproche à ces éditeurs comme La Farandole c’est de priver les enfants du « droit sacré du rêve34 » p. 54.
Je demande pour eux des îles, et des amours enfantines qui s’épanouissent avec les couleurs de la vie la plus belle, car ils ont le droit de l’espérer autrement que par le truchement d’un droit syndical. […] Mais non, on lui coupe dès huit ans sous le pied l’herbe naissante ! La vie, mon petit, c’est ce petit HLM, ces petits sentiments, ces petits frôlements de peau à peau, ces petits amours dont on change, cet air mesuré et qui empeste les frites, ces mamans qui pour l’instant n’ont pas de petit ami, ces petits couplets sur le droit de grève @ Un débat idéologique post-68 est ici manifestement présent. Pour Andrée Clair, en revanche, il n’y a absolument pas d’aliénation du droit au rêve. Seulement, elle affirme que le rêve peut prendre sa place au milieu du béton et des tours où règnent diversité, altérité et mixité.
www.dailymotion.com/video/xw6lak?playlist=x34ije -Rue neuve 1956 la reconstruction de la France dix ans après la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale, villes, villages, grands ensembles réalisation : Jack Pinoteau , Panorama de la reconstruction de la France dix ans après la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale, ce film de commande évoque les villes et villages français détruits puis reconstruits dans un style respectant la tradition : Saint-Malo, Gien, Thionville, Ammerschwihr, etc. ainsi que la reconstruction en rupture avec l'architecture traditionnelle à Châtenay-Malabry, Arles, Saint Étienne, Évreux, Chambéry, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Abbeville, Le Havre, Marseille, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dunkerque. Le documentaire explique par exemple la manière dont a été réalisée la reconstruction de Saint-Malo à l'intérieur des rempart de la vieille ville : "c'est la fidélité à l'histoire et la force du souvenir qui a guidé l'architecte". Dans le même esprit à Gien, au trois quart détruite en 1940, seul le château construit en 1494 pour Anne de Beaujeu, fille aînée de Louis XI, fut épargné par les bombardements. La ville fut reconstruite dans le style des rares immeubles restant. Gien est relevé de ses ruines et le nouvel ensemble harmonieux est appelé « Joyau de la Reconstruction française ».
Dans un deuxième temps est abordé le chapitre de la construction des cités et des grands ensembles, de l’architecture du renouveau qualifiée de "grandiose incontestablement". S’il est précisé "on peut aimer ou de ne pas aimer ce style", l’emporte au final l’argument suivant : les grands ensembles, c'est la campagne à la ville, un urbanisme plus aéré, plus vert." les films caravelles 1956, Réalisateur : Jack Pinoteau (connu pour être le metteur en scène du film Le Triporteur 1957 qui fit découvrir Darry Cowl)
www.dailymotion.com/video/xuz3o8?playlist=x34ije ,
Film d'archive actualités de 1952 Reconstruction de la France sept ans après la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale état des lieux de la crise du logement , Actualités de 1952.
Sept ans après la fin de la seconde guerre Mondiale état des lieux de la reconstruction de la France et de la crise du logement à l’œuvre, pénurie de logement, logements insalubres. Les actualités montrent des images d'archives de la destruction de la France, les Chars de la division Leclerc qui défilent sur les Champs Elysees. Le commentaire dénonce la lenteur de la reconstruction et notamment des manifestations qui ont eu lieue à Royan afin d''accélérer la reconstruction de la ville détruite.
Le film montre à Strasbourg, Mulhouse, des réalisation moderne de grands ensembles et des images d'archive de la reconstruction du Havre de Saint Nazaire.
Le film se termine à Marseille sur les réalisation nouvelles autour du vieux port puis on assiste à l'inauguration de la Cité Radieuse par le ministre de la Reconstruction et de l'Urbanisme Eugène Claudius-Petit en présence de son architecte Le Corbusier à qui le ministre remet la cravate de commandeur de la légion d'honneur. www.dailymotion.com/video/xk1g5j?playlist=x34ije Brigitte Gros - Urbanisme - Filmer les grands ensembles 2016 - par Camille Canteux chercheuse au CHS -Centre d'Histoire Sociale - Jeanne Menjoulet - Ce film du CHS daté de 2014 www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDUBwVPNh0s … L'UNION SOCIALE POUR L'HABITAT le Musée des H.L.M. musee-hlm.fr/ / - www.union-habitat.org/ / - www.institutfrancais.com/sites/default/files/dp_expositio... archives-histoire.centraliens.net/pdfs/revues/rev625.pdf tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00554230/document
With what enthusiasm the Chinese have adopted the American fast food chains: McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut !
Can not take a photograph in a Chinese city without taking any of these signs!
Some Chinese entrepreneurs launched their own chain to compete with these giant but obviously, American franchises have much more success.
* * *
Avec quel enthousiasme les chinois ont adopté les chaines de restauration rapide américaines : McDonald, KFC, Pizza Hut …
Impossible de prendre une photographie dans une ville chinoise sans qu'apparaisse l'une de ces enseignes !
Quelques entrepreneurs chinois ont lancé leur propre enseigne pour concurrencer ces géants mais, manifestement, les franchises américaines ont beaucoup plus de succès.
The Science of the Future is Based Upon GOD - The Creator
God is Light - God is Mind
Mind is alone Omniscient and Omnipotent - Light is alone Omnipresent
The Undivided White Light of the Universal God-Mind : God's Universe of "space" is an intensely luminous blinding white light which no eyes can see. Illuminates alone can see that light through their centers of consciousness located in their pineal glands.
The White Mind-light divided into Spectrum Pairs - God's White Mind-light is dark to man until he divides it into spectrum pairs of red and blue lights to screen the white light of God's mind which centers every creating thing
Man's senses are two-way waves of limited frequencies. They do not respond to vibrations below or above a very limited range. Man can extend his range of sense vision by telescope or microscope, but his senses cannot go beyond Spectrum EFFECT into Mind CAUSE.
Man's limited sense vision has caused him to see an objective universe of many separate disunited things. When mind-vision unfolds to a higher stage in the human race by increasing awareness of the divine light which centers man, he will then see that every thing in the universe is insolubly bound to every other thing. Science will then know that matter is but many focal points of one body.
When a man multiplies gravity by casting a stone in the water his senses see only wave-ripples. They do not tell him that those ripples are equatorial ring-series of expanding spheres which are dissipating gravity in the same ratio as it is being multiplied by the falling stone. The same principle applies to all actions. This is, in fact, this is the very basis of the universal life principle.
Science has built a strange universe from sense evidence and has been mightily deceived.
Le quartier du Petit Champlain repose au pied du Cap Diamant à Québec. Son nom vient de la rue du Petit-Champlain, une rue étroite dont les maisons à l'ouest longent la falaise.
S'ajoutent les rues Sous-le-Fort, du Cul-de-Sac, du Marché-Champlain et une partie de la rue Notre-Dame et du boulevard Champlain.
Des artisans et des commerçants se sont regroupés en coopérative en 1985 et y tiennent des boutiques. Les décorations soulignant fêtes populaires ou grands rassemblements sont omniprésentes mais particulièrement féériques durant la période de Noël.
Au parlement de Bretagne à Rennes, la couleur de l'or y est omniprésente. Le symbole des rois "Louis" se trouve partout également. Avec un éclairage qui fait ressortir encore plus la couleur or de cette pièce un peu sombre. Une certaine perspective que j'apprécie.
Canon Eos 7D + Canon 10-22mm f/3.5
© Published photos are the property of Florian Leroy. They are not royalty free. Any use of these
photographic visual is strictly prohibited without prior permission from the author. Conditions of Use are expressly subject to the provisions of the Code of Intellectual Property.
© Les photos publiées sont la propriété de Florian Leroy. Elles ne sont pas libres de droits. Toute utilisation de ces visuels photographiques est strictement interdite sans une autorisation préalable auprès de son auteur. Les conditions générales d’utilisation sont expressément soumises aux dispositions du Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle.
Gandhara is the name given to an ancient region or province invaded in 326 B.C. by Alexander the Great, who took Charsadda (ancient Puskalavati) near present-day Peshawar (ancient Purusapura) and then marched eastward across the Indus into the Punjab as far as the Beas river (ancient Vipasa). Gandhara constituted the undulating plains, irrigated by the Kabul River from the Khyber Pass area, the contemporary boundary between Pakistan and Afganistan, down to the Indus River and southward towards the Murree hills and Taxila (ancient Taksasila), near Pakistan"s present capital, Islamabad. Its art, however, during the first centuries of the Christian era, had adopted a substantially larger area, together with the upper stretches of the Kabul River, the valley of Kabul itself, and ancient Kapisa, as well as Swat and Buner towards the north.
A great deal of Gandhara sculptures has survived dating from the first to probably as late as the sixth or even the seventh century but in a remarkably homogeneous style. Most of the arts were almost always in a blue-gray mica schist, though sometimes in a green phyllite or in stucco, or very rarely in terracotta. Because of the appeal of its Western classical aesthetic for the British rulers of India, schooled to admire all things Greek and Roman, a great deal found its way into private hands or the shelter of museums.
Gandhara sculpture primarily comprised Buddhist monastic establishments. These monasteries provided a never-ending gallery for sculptured reliefs of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. The Gandhara stupas were comparatively magnified and more intricate, but the most remarkable feature, which distinguished the Gandhara stupas from the pervious styles were hugely tiered umbrellas at its peak, almost soaring over the total structure. The abundance of Gandharan sculpture was an art, which originated with foreign artisans.
In the excavation among the varied miscellany of small bronze figures, though not often like Alexandrian imports, four or five Buddhist bronzes are very late in date. These further illustrate the aura of the Gandhara art. Relics of mural paintings though have been discovered, yet the only substantial body of painting, in Bamiyan, is moderately late, and much of it belongs to an Iranian or central Asian rather than an Indian context. Non-narrative themes and architectural ornament were omnipresent at that time. Mythical figures and animals such as atlantes, tritons, dragons, and sea serpents derive from the same source, although there is the occasional high-backed, stylized creature associated with the Central Asian animal style. Moldings and cornices are decorated mostly with acanthus, laurel, and vine, though sometimes with motifs of Indian, and occasionally ultimately western Asian, origin: stepped merlons, lion heads, vedikas, and lotus petals. It is worth noting that architectural elements such as pillars, gable ends, and domes as represented in the reliefs tend to follow the Indian forms
.
Gandhara became roughly a Holy Land of Buddhism and excluding a handful of Hindu images, sculpture took the form either of Buddhist sect objects, Buddha and Bodhisattvas, or of architectural embellishment for Buddhist monasteries. The more metaphorical kinds are demonstrated by small votive stupas, and bases teeming with stucco images and figurines that have lasted at Jaulian and Mora Moradu, outpost monasteries in the hills around Taxila. Hadda, near the present town of Jalalabad, has created some groups in stucco of an almost rococo while more latest works of art in baked clay, with strong Hellenistic influence, have been revealed there, in what sums up as tiny chapels. It is not known exactly why stucco, an imported Alexandrian modus operandi, was used. It is true that grey schist is not found near Taxila, however other stones are available, and in opposition to the ease of operating with stucco, predominantly the artistic effects which can be achieved, must be set with its impermanence- fresh deposits frequently had to be applied. Excluding possibly at Taxila, its use emerges to have been a late expansion.
Architectural fundamentals of the Gandhara art, like pillars, gable ends and domes as showcased in the reliefs, were inclined to follow Indian outlines, but the pilaster with capital of Corinthian type, abounds and in one-palace scene Persepolitan columns go along with Roman coffered ceilings. The so-called Shrine of the Double-Headed Eagle at Sirkap, in actuality a stupa pedestal, well demonstrates this enlightening eclecticism- the double-headed bird on top of the chaitya arch is an insignia of Scythian origin, which appears as a Byzantine motif and materialises much later in South India as the ga1J.qa-bheru1J.qa in addition to atop European armorial bearings.
In Gandhara art the descriptive friezes were all but invariably Buddhist, and hence Indian in substance- one depicted a horse on wheels nearing a doorway, which might have represented the Trojan horse affair, but this is under scan. The Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, familiar from the previous Greek-based coinage of the region, appeared once or twice as standing figurines, presumably because as a pair, they tallied an Indian mithuna couple. There were also female statuettes, corresponding to city goddesses. Though figures from Butkara, near Saidan Sharif in Swat, were noticeably more Indian in physical type, and Indian motifs were in abundance there. Sculpture was, in the main, Hellenistic or Roman, and the art of Gandhara was indeed "the easternmost appearance of the art of the Roman Empire, especially in its late and provincial manifestations". Furthermore, naturalistic portrait heads, one of the high-points of Roman sculpture, were all but missing in Gandhara, in spite of the episodic separated head, probably that of a donor, with a discernible feeling of uniqueness. Some constitutions and poses matched those from western Asia and the Roman world; like the manner in which a figure in a recurrently instanced scene from the Dipankara jataka had prostrated himself before the future Buddha, is reverberated in the pose of the defeated before the defeater on a Trojanic frieze on the Arch of Constantine and in later illustrations of the admiration of the divinised emperor. One singular recurrently occurring muscular male figure, hand on sword, witnessed in three-quarters view from the backside, has been adopted from western classical sculpture. On occasions standing figures, even the Buddha, deceived the elusive stylistic actions of the Roman sculptor, seeking to express majestas. The drapery was fundamentally Western- the folds and volume of dangling garments were carved with realness and gusto- but it was mainly the persistent endeavours at illusionism, though frequently obscured by unrefined carving, which earmarked the Gandhara sculpture as based on a western classical visual impact.
The distinguishing Gandhara sculpture, of which hundreds if not thousands of instances have outlived, is the standing or seated Buddha. This flawlessly reproduces the necessary nature of Gandhara art, in which a religious and an artistic constituent, drawn from widely varied cultures have been bonded. The iconography is purely Indian. The seated Buddha is mostly cross-legged in the established Indian manner. However, forthcoming generations, habituated to think of the Buddha as a monk, and unable to picture him ever possessing long hair or donning a turban, came to deduce the chigon as a "cranial protuberance", singular to Buddha. But Buddha is never depicted with a shaved head, as are the Sangha, the monks; his short hair is clothed either in waves or in taut curls over his whole head. The extended ears are merely due to the downward thrust of the heavy ear-rings worn by a prince or magnate; the distortion of the ear-lobes is especially visible in Buddha, who, in Gandhara, never wore ear-rings or ornaments of any kind. As Foucher puts it, the Gandhara Buddha is at a time a monk without shaving and a prince stripped off jewellery.
The western classical factor rests in the style, in the handling of the robe, and in the physiognomy of Buddha. The cloak, which covers all but the appendages (though the right shoulder is often bared), is dealt like in Greek and Roman sculptures; the heavy folds are given a plastic flair of their own, and only in poorer or later works do they deteriorate into indented lines, fairly a return to standard Indian practice. The "western" treatment has caused Buddha"s garment to be misidentified for a toga; but a toga is semicircular, while, Buddha wore a basic, rectangular piece of cloth, i.e., the samghiifi, a monk"s upper garment. The head gradually swerves towards a hieratic stylisation, but at its best, it is naturalistic and almost positively based on the Greek Apollo, undoubtedly in Hellenistic or Roman copies.
Gandhara art also had developed at least two species of image, i.e. not part of the frieze, in which Buddha is the fundamental figure of an event in his life, distinguished by accompanying figures and a detailed mise-en-scene. Perhaps the most remarkable amongst these is the Visit to the Indrasala Cave, of which the supreme example is dated in the year 89, almost unquestionably of the Kanishka period. Indra and his harpist are depicted on their visit in it. The small statuettes of the visitors emerge below, an elephant describing Indra. The more general among these detailed images, of which approximately 30 instances are known, is presumably related with the Great Miracle of Sravasti. In one such example, one of the adjoining Bodhisattvas is distinguished as Avalokiteshwara by the tiny seated Buddha in his headgear. Other features of these images include the unreal species of tree above Buddha, the spiky lotus upon which he sits, and the effortlessly identifiable figurines of Indra and Brahma on both sides.
Another important aspect of the Gandhara art was the coins of the Graeco-Bactrians. The coins of the Graeco-Bactrians - on the Greek metrological standard, equals the finest Attic examples and of the Indo-Greek kings, which have until lately served as the only instances of Greek art found in the subcontinent. The legendary silver double decadrachmas of Amyntas, possibly a remembrance issue, are the biggest "Greek" coins ever minted, the largest cast in gold, is the exceptional decadrachma of the same king in the Bibliotheque Nationale, with the Dioscuri on the inverse. Otherwise, there was scanty evidence until recently of Greek or Hellenistic influences in Gandhara. A manifestation of Greek metropolitan planning is furnished by the rectilinear layouts of two cities of the 1st centuries B.C./A.D.--Sirkap at Taxila and Shaikhan Pheri at Charsadda. Remains of the temple at Jandial, also at Taxila and presumably dating back to 1st century B.C., also includes Greek characteristics- remarkably the huge base mouldings and the Ionic capitals of the colossal portico and antechamber columns. In contrast, the columns or pilasters on the immeasurable Gandhara friezes (when they are not in a Indian style), are consistently coronated by Indo-Corinthian capitals, the local version of the Corinthian capital- a certain sign of a comparatively later date.
The notable Begram hoard confirms articulately to the number and multiplicity of origin of the foreign artefacts imported into Gandhara. This further illustrates the foreign influence in the Gandhara art. Parallel hoards have been found in peninsular India, especially in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, but the imported wares are sternly from the Roman world. At Begram the ancient Kapisa, near Kabul, there are bronzes, possibly of Alexandrian manufacture, in close proximity with emblemata (plaster discs, certainly meant as moulds for local silversmiths), bearing reliefs in the purest classical vein, Chinese lacquers and Roman glass. The hoard was possibly sealed in mid-3rd century, when some of the subjects may have been approximately 200 years old "antiques", frequently themselves replicates of classical Greek objects. The plentiful ivories, consisting in the central of chest and throne facings, engraved in a number of varied relief techniques, were credibly developed somewhere between Mathura and coastal Andhra. Some are of unrivalled beauty. Even though a few secluded instances of early Indian ivory carving have outlived, including the legendary mirror handle from Pompeii, the Begram ivories are the only substantial collection known until moderately in present times of what must always have been a widespread craft. Other sites, particularly Taxila, have generated great many instances of such imports, some from India, some, like the appealing tiny bronze figure of Harpocrates, undoubtedly from Alexandria. Further cultural influences are authenticated by the Scytho Sarmatian jewellery, with its characteristic high-backed carnivores, and by a statue of St. Peter. But all this should not cloud the all-important truth that the immediately identifiable Gandhara style was the prevailing form of artistic manifestation throughout the expanse for several centuries, and the magnitude of its influence on the art of central Asia and China and as far as Japan, allows no doubt about its integrity and vitality.
In the Gandhara art early Buddhist iconography drew heavily on traditional sources, incorporating Hindu gods and goddesses into a Buddhist pantheon and adapting old folk tales to Buddhist religious purposes. Kubera and Harm are probably the best-known examples of this process.
Five dated idols from Gandhara art though exist, however the hitch remains that the era is never distinguished. The dates are in figures under 100 or else in 300s. Moreover one of the higher numbers are debatable, besides, the image upon which it is engraved is not in the conventional Andhra style. The two low-number-dated idols are the most sophisticated and the least injured. Their pattern is classical Gandhara. The most undemanding rendition of their dates relates them to Kanishka and 78 A.D. is assumed as the commencement of his era. They both fall in the second half of the 2nd century A.D. and equally later, if a later date is necessitated for the beginning of Kanishka`s time. This calculation nearly parallels numismatics and archaeological evidences. The application of other eras, like the Vikrama (base date- 58 B.C.) and the Saka (base date- 78 A.D.), would place them much later. The badly battered figurines portray standing Buddhas, without a head of its own, but both on original figured plinths. They come to view as depicting the classical Gandhara style; decision regarding where to place these two dated Buddhas, both standing, must remain knotty till more evidence comes out as to how late the classical Gandhara panache had continued.
Methodical study of the Gandhara art, and specifically about its origins and expansion, is befuddled with numerous problems, not at least of which is the inordinately complex history and culture of the province. It is one of the great ethnical crossroads of the world simultaneously being in the path of all the intrusions of India for over three millennia. Bussagli has rightly remarked, `More than any other Indian region, Gandhara was a participant in the political and cultural events that concerned the rest of the Asian continent`.
However, Systematic study of the art of Gandhara, and particularly of its origins and development, is bedeviled by many problems, not the least of which is the extraordinarily complex history and culture of the region.
In spite of the labours of many scholars over the past hundred and fifty years, the answers to some of the most important questions, such as the number of centuries spanned by the art of Gandhara, still await, fresh archaeological, inscriptional, or numismatic evidence.
To wrap up that first design batch, I wanted to include two other staples of Japanese urban landscapes: the iconic red torii, and the omnipresent "tomare" markings. I cheated a bit in limiting myself to the kanji of the word, but coming up with a design that allowed for a brickbuilt version that would be centered on the road (while still being attached and rather solid) was quite the challenge -- but made the whole thing worthwhile.
The concept behind this little series was to craft something small and modular, starting off from a 16 x 16 baseplate, and trying to cram as much detail as possible. True to the way small streets are structured in Japan, I have opted for a 6-stud wide road standard, with an additional 3 studs for the "sidewalk" (which is, more often than not, materialized with just a white line on the pavement). This means that those little constructions have an open back, thus allowing to peer inside.
Paris in the summer
is a dream.
The trees,
heavy with leaves,
shimmer in rare bouts
of sunlight
that pours
over the city streets
like white gold.
Even the rain
and omnipresent clouds
that blanket the bleached sky
shimmers against
Paris's candy-colored architecture,
as the days linger long,
like trailing words spilling slowly
off the phrases of lovers.
--
Interested in viewing all of my France posts so far? Here they are:
Looking for these (and more) Paris photos to view larger? Here you go (click or tap on each photo to view larger):
---
Information about my New York City photography book which is releasing in stores and online in the autumn of 2014 (including where to order it):
NY Through The Lens: A New York Coffee Table Book
---
View my New York City photography at my website NY Through The Lens.
View my Travel photography at my travel blog: Traveling Lens.
Interested in my work and have questions about PR and media? Check out my:
About Page | PR Page | Media Page
To use any of my photos commercially, feel free to contact me via email at photos@nythroughthelens.com
Modern mosque. Incredibly, NO SHADOWS. The omnipresent sun in these latitudes, leaving little margin for creativity
Paris in the summer
is a dream.
The trees,
heavy with leaves,
shimmer in rare bouts
of sunlight
that pours
over the city streets
like white gold.
Even the rain
and omnipresent clouds
that blanket the bleached sky
shimmers against
Paris's candy-colored architecture,
as the days linger long,
like trailing words spilling slowly
off the phrases of lovers.
--
Interested in viewing all of my France posts so far? Here they are:
Looking for these (and more) Paris photos to view larger? Here you go (click or tap on each photo to view larger):
---
Information about my New York City photography book which is releasing in stores and online in the autumn of 2014 (including where to order it):
NY Through The Lens: A New York Coffee Table Book
---
View my New York City photography at my website NY Through The Lens.
View my Travel photography at my travel blog: Traveling Lens.
Interested in my work and have questions about PR and media? Check out my:
About Page | PR Page | Media Page
To use any of my photos commercially, feel free to contact me via email at photos@nythroughthelens.com
Day or night it is omnipresent and its mood changes everyday, but it has always a strong impact on how you feel, as if, even for a brief instant, you imagine yourself up there.
Le Manoir de Ban a été construit en 1840 par l’architecte veveysan Philippe Franel pour le compte de Charles Emile Henri de Scherer, alors propriétaire
du domaine. Philippe Franel est l’un des architectes les plus importants de la région. On lui doit de prestigieuses constructions comme la Tour de l’Horloge, le Château de l’Aile ou le célèbre hôtel des Trois Couronnes à Vevey. Son empreinte est aujourd’hui encore omniprésente sur les bords du lac Léman.
Quelques jours après leur arrivée en Suisse, en décembre 1952, Charlie et Oona visitent la région.
Sur indication de leur chauffeur, le couple s’arrête sur les hauteurs du Léman, dans la commune de Corsier- sur-Vevey. Les Chaplin y croisent le propriétaire, visitent les lieux et ontun véritable coup de foudre pour la maison, les arbres et le jardin qui l’entourent, de même que pour le point de vue remarquable sur le lac et les montagnes. L’achat fut conclu en moins d’un mois.
The omnipresent strings of stored coal buckets and a waiting ethanol train sit in the Belt Railway of Chicago's Rockwell Yard, once Pere Marquette's Chicago classification facility. A CSX merchandise train snakes out of Hayford Junction in the distance, heading east on the Belt main.
There are discoveries so fundamental, so quietly omnipresent, that they become part of the very fabric of our understanding—so deeply woven into our knowledge that it’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know them. Penny Chisholm’s discovery of Prochlorococcus—the smallest, most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth—is one of those.
I photographed Penny at her office and lab at MIT in the fall of 2023, and I’ll never forget the moment we stepped into a refrigerated room deep inside her lab. The chill was immediate, the hum of machinery a steady undercurrent. She reached into a rack and lifted two small test tubes, each glowing a faint, otherworldly green. “This,” she said, holding them up to the light, “is the foundation of the ocean’s food web. The most abundant phytoplankton on the planet.”
That microscopic speck of green—Prochlorococcus—had once been invisible to us, despite existing in vast numbers across the world’s oceans, quietly producing oxygen, fueling marine ecosystems, and shaping the chemistry of the planet. It was Penny’s work, her persistence and curiosity, that revealed it to science.
The story of that discovery stretches back to the late 1980s, a time when oceanographers still largely relied on traditional methods—net tows, microscopy, and chemical analyses—to study phytoplankton. But the problem was that these tools missed something. The ocean’s primary producers weren’t just the larger phytoplankton that could be seen under a microscope; something much smaller was at work. Penny, working alongside colleagues, turned to flow cytometry, a technique borrowed from medical research, to analyze seawater one cell at a time.
When they did, they saw something unexpected—tiny, green fluorescent cells in astonishing numbers. At first, no one quite believed it. How could an organism so small—barely a fraction of a micrometer across—be responsible for such a significant fraction of the ocean’s primary production? But as they sequenced its DNA and studied its ecology, a new picture of the ocean emerged.
It turned out that Prochlorococcus wasn’t just abundant—it was ubiquitous. Trillions upon trillions of these microscopic cells drifted through the oceans, thriving at different depths, subtly adapting to varying light conditions, forming an invisible yet essential foundation of the marine ecosystem. It was as if an entire unseen rainforest had been hiding in plain sight, only now revealed.
But Penny’s impact reaches far beyond Prochlorococcus. She has spent her career advocating for a deeper understanding of the ocean as a living system, not just a resource to be exploited. She has pushed back against the idea of carbon as a simple commodity, warning of the unintended consequences of geoengineering schemes that treat the ocean as a dumping ground for excess CO₂. She understands something fundamental: that nature is not a machine to be tuned but a complex, interwoven system.
And then there’s her role at MIT—not just as a scientist but as a mentor, a leader, an advocate. Penny was a key ally in one of the most significant battles for gender equity in academia: the movement led by molecular biologist Nancy Hopkins to expose gender discrimination at MIT in the 1990s. It started quietly, with a small group of senior female faculty—including Penny and Nancy—comparing notes on the subtle but persistent disparities they faced: fewer resources, smaller labs, lower salaries. It wasn’t just perception; it was measurable.
Nancy, ever precise, collected the data—evidence that left no room for doubt. When they presented their findings to MIT’s administration, something remarkable happened: MIT admitted it. The institution publicly acknowledged gender bias, an extraordinary moment of institutional self-reflection that rippled across academia. Penny was part of that fight, standing beside Nancy and the other women who reshaped the culture of MIT.
Sitting in her office, surrounded by books on oceanography, ecology, and climate change, Penny talked not just about her own discoveries but about what it means to be a scientist—to see the world clearly, to fight for truth, whether it’s hidden in a drop of seawater or buried in institutional norms.
As I packed up my camera, I kept thinking about those test tubes glowing green in the cold room. A lifetime of work distilled into something so small, so deceptively simple. But Penny Chisholm had shown the world that the smallest things—the unseen, the unnoticed—can hold the greatest power.
U.S. fast food chains like McDonald's or KFC are ubiquitous in Chinese cities.
Difficult to take a picture without finding one in the field.
* * *
Les enseignes américaines de restauration rapide comme McDonald's ou KFC sont omniprésentes dans les villes chinoises.
Difficile de prendre une photo sans en trouver une dans le champ visuel.
Some purple fringing and vignetting, exacerbated by the early hour and omnipresent haze. Freight terminal at NAIA.
Paris in the summer
is a dream.
The trees,
heavy with leaves,
shimmer in rare bouts
of sunlight
that pours
over the city streets
like white gold.
Even the rain
and omnipresent clouds
that blanket the bleached sky
shimmers against
Paris's candy-colored architecture,
as the days linger long,
like trailing words spilling slowly
off the phrases of lovers.
--
Interested in viewing all of my France posts so far? Here they are:
Looking for these (and more) Paris photos to view larger? Here you go (click or tap on each photo to view larger):
---
Information about my New York City photography book which is releasing in stores and online in the autumn of 2014 (including where to order it):
NY Through The Lens: A New York Coffee Table Book
---
View my New York City photography at my website NY Through The Lens.
View my Travel photography at my travel blog: Traveling Lens.
Interested in my work and have questions about PR and media? Check out my:
About Page | PR Page | Media Page
To use any of my photos commercially, feel free to contact me via email at photos@nythroughthelens.com
Which is the deadliest insect in the world ? Definitely the answer is mosquito, the omnipresent and the omnipotent !!!
Mosquitoes alone can't do us much harm, but as disease carriers, these insects are downright lethal.
Infected Anopheles mosquitoes carry a parasite in the genus Plasmodium, the cause of the deadly disease malaria. The parasite reproduces within the mosquito's body. Female mosquitoes then bite humans to feed on their blood, and the parasite is transferred to the human host.
As vectors of malaria, mosquitoes indirectly cause the deaths of almost one million people each year. According to the World Heath Organization, about 243 million people suffered from the debilitating disease in 2008. Half the world's population lives at risk of contracting malaria. Every 30 seconds, a child dies of malaria.
Source: insects.about.com/od/insectssociety/f/deadliest-insect.htm
Shot this with Tamron 90mm macro on Nikon D50 mounted on kenko 2X teleconverter along-with
Raynox DCR250 macro add-on lens.
Take care and stay protected from mosquito bites, friends !!
Have a good day !!!
[ES] Sobre el mar de nubes que nos acompañó de forma casi permanente en la costa norte de Tenerife.
[EN] Over the sea of clouds that was almost omnipresent during our stay in the North coast of Tenerife.
Long time away so no posting.but have tried to keep up with the range of postings from friends and contacts; some wonderful stuff in these that never fail to bring a smile. I don't think I've used the camera in just over a year so some back catalogue ones will have to do - such as this omnipresent species from when I was in Florida. This was one photographed at Circle B Bar Reserve.
Elle illustre les modes et phénomènes du peuple japonais. L’omniprésent et édulcoré univers Kawaii - « tout ce qui peut être mignon »
Love death eternity and life. A decaying rose under stones on a grave. "Decorated" by the omnipresent pigeons.
He is a floor rather than a cushion kind of cat.
His P H O T O B O O K for sale.
** My sincere apologies but comments with pics / links to other photostreams and "non-comments" will be deleted. Please also refrain from posting invites to groups especially those that needs compulsory commenting. Thank you for visiting! **