L'art moderne

In class today, we wrapped up our unit on education and started a unit on media. I'm interested to see how this goes considering our first topic is freedom of the press. The diversity in my class is really going to show, especially because one woman is a human rights activist who is already arguing that the issue is not freedom of press, but freedom to inform one's self. Also, did you know that France's current president isn't married? The first lady of France, if such a title exists, is his current girlfriend. It's interesting to see how the image of stability and willingness to be a part of traditional society, which Americans often define as being in a lasting marriage, is defined differently.

I spent the afternoon today in the Centre Pompidou, home of a fanatic collection of modern art. It walks you through all the greats, from Matisse and fauvism to Picasso and cubism to whatever you call the neat concentric circle art to dali's surrealism. Other artists worth mentioning include Modigliani and the Delaunays. Some of it was really great. Some of it (see below) was not.

I don't know if I've previously addressed this, but French men wear bags. Satchels, backpacks, eastpak slings, shoulder bags, even the occasional fanny pack. The weird thing is, I didn't even notice this fashion phenomenon until recently because they wear them so darn well. French men redefine the phrase fresh-to-death when it comes to fashion, and they're even easier identify on the metro than women. Think edgier James Bond and you've basically got the look down pat.