Paris Photo Part I

I arrive in Paris at night & before entering the apartment take a picture of the courtyard looking up into the night sky, a lovely sight...

The next day, Wednesday is the opening day of Paris Photo 2012. A crisp November afternoon we approach the Grand Palais. Pictures of the almighty are on display for all to see, David Lynch need only show his hair to be recognised in an instant. 

A very short film of the wheel, so lovely.

All the photo's & video here on the blog are taken with my phone by the way, so don't expect miracles...I am but a mere painter after all...who wears silly jumpers...

So, back to PP (for short) & most of the opening afternoon was spent bumping into oodles of people & seeing very little photography to be quite honest. However, that is half the fun. The website had launched the day before, so word was out on the photographic grapevine for those who had missed the Unseen fair. 

Amongst the fabulous people the wonderful Vee Speers, whose work I bought many years ago & has since become a very good friend. She lives in Paris & as luck would have it just minutes away from the apartment I was staying in. Here she is with the lovely David Fahey from L A. 

Up in the VIP lounge Fariba & myself compare shoe sizes, her a 3, me a 7 1/2, am I big or is she small? Who cares, nice picture, good purple floor! Both 'on trend' ? I have no idea.

So the time had come to leave & head out to Vee's for her traditional dinner party. Needless to say it was fantastic, thanks Vee. The fact there there are no pictures of this event goes to show how much fun everyone was having. By the way the picture above is taken for Emily Allchurch, for those who know her work you will understand. For those who don't, see this link. 

Thursday now & after a very late start recovering from the night before I headed into the fair. As before more friends to bump into including Bruce Davidson & his wife Emily. A lovely hour was spent talking about relatives & their achievements this year including a book by Emily about one the bikers in the Brooklyn gang that Bruce photographed many years ago. 1959 in fact, wow that was a  long time ago. Let's not dwell on that, the work is a fabulous that's enough in my books.

So here is Bruce & yours truly discussing the book & life of 'Bobby' or Bob Powers as told to Emily. 

Here is the cover & info if you want to buy it. It's on my Christmas list! Can't wait to read it.

So wandering back home we passed a lovely Hotel with blooming flowers in every window box, real or fake who cares, they look great! 

Then time for a quick change before attending the Prix Pictet Prize show at Gallerie Vanessa Quang. Dinner followed then another late night. So to bed with more about Paris Photo in my next blog & the photographs that I loved to come...