Gilles - February 26, 2008

Gilles is a painter from Toulouse. He travels a lot and his life is a swirl of activity, paintings, monumental changes. He's gotten married since I last saw him and is now in Hong Kong with his wife Stephanie. This picture is from right after they got married. Gilles sent me two pictures from their wedding day, so I had a little variety on this visit.

It finally snowed. Flurries were still falling when I left at dawn. Gilles told me he wanted to go to Coney Island, but the address he gave me was in fact at Rockaway Beach. He wrote it was at the end of the A line, which is definitely not in Coney Island. So I set out for the Rockaways. It is so far from everything. Traveling across Jamaica Bay, it feels as if one might fall off the edge of the world. I have no idea why Gilles would like to be here at the entrance to the subway.



It is so desolate.

I did not linger.

Gilles wanted to be at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge as a symbol of his passage from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I had wanted to capture an suitably processional view, but the wind was not cooperating, turning Gilles and Stephanie away from the bridge.


I could only get a little of the bridge's sign and only by standing on a slippery overhang under which runs the subway.


I got another nice tree shot though.


In the distance is spire of one of my favorite buildings; the City Services Building.

Next into Williamsburg where I was to hang the picture near the footpath entrance to the bridge at the HSBC bank. Which is jolly except that this is not where the footbridge entrance is. It isn't far, though.


That is the bridge in the background.








I moved on to Berry street where Gilles has a studio when he is in New York.






Finally, I went around the corner to the Jesus Mini Market.


Unfortunately, Gilles and Stephanie do not show up well against the mini market's awning.


They look better here, and there is a UFO tag on the signpost as a bonus. In fact this is a pretty arty corner.


There is that flag in the window for example.


I am not really sure what is going on with the building in the distance, if it is a tag or a cover up, perhaps a tag war? But I like the splash of pink on this otherwise grey day.

To see some of Gilles awesome paintings click here
You have to click on the painting of the opening page And mouse over to get a menu, but it is worth the effort.

And to visit the blog of his exhibit in Guangzhou click here
Scroll down to appreciate the scale of his work.