France: Brick and Mortar

We recently escaped the country for a two week trip around France. Much like everyone else, it’s been so long since we’ve been able to travel like that. It takes an effort to be open for two solid weeks, open eyes and open mind. It’s a constant education. To be succinct, I’ll summarize it in one word: Stamina.

Dinan (I can’t tell if the curve is on purpose or decay.)

But the thing about France, there is “art” in all it’s glorious iterations, political and decorative, emotional and nihilistic, everywhere as soon as you leave your apartment.

A lot of it is architectural and that’s my focus today. Buildings were crafted with grandiose details, from purposeful built recesses within walls to house statues, right down to intricately carved cornerstones. Sometimes those buildings can feel like they were built to assert superiority and to intimidate. When I stare up at them, I can feel that “I am small” and there are “important things” inside.

Parts of this are the Louvre…I think?

Temple of Diana - Nimes

Athough this was likely not the intended purpose, sometimes it feels like something was built specifically just to bring you a bit of aesthetic joy.

It’s probably not just a “random arch”, but it feels that way. A little gateway to other adventures.

Palais Longchamps in Marseille is an example of a Chateaud’eau or water castle. This one was built to guarantee a clean water source during a cholera epidemic in the 1800s. It also houses two museums. In Canada, we can’t even get a set of basic pipes together to bring potable water to First Nations (horrifying).

Can you imagine having the budget to make a utility this extravagant?

Palais Longchamps

Don’t quote me, but recently, intentional architecture is less about that kind of dominance and prolific detail and more about the line, the shape and the integration with its environment. (Or efficiency and boredom if you’re on a budget.)

Truthfully (and obviously) I don’t know much about architecture. It’s complex problem solving – how do you get bigger and make it last, followed by, how do you make it bigger and cuter. (Someone give me a PHD!)

Flying Buttresses - useful and decorative!

But I don’t know what questions to ask. Like, what counts as architecture? When does it move from that realm to sculpture? Or does there need to be a clear divisible line? What is the cost of aesthetics in relation to form and function?

Obviously interactive with a sense of place. Sculpture or architecture or both?

What I really liked is that these bold architectural declarations seemed to be everywhere so I had no choice but to let it all wash over me.

One could get tired of all the grandeur and sometimes repetitive feeling, but it’s a constant visual fest whether you’re into it or not. I’ll leave you now with some pictures. Shortly I’ll get another post together about the art we saw.

Happy Dreaming!

A square in Lille

Another Chateaud’eau in Nimes. (But this time for textile production)

I love some graffiti, and it works best when it has volume.

Marseilles