Montparnasse Street Art

Joseph Nechvatal

Published as

Street Art Subversion Goes Retro in Paris at Hyperallergic

http://hyperallergic.com/140848/street-art-subversion-goes-retro-in-paris/

Paris is rightly recognized as an interesting place for street art, especially on

the right bank in the scruffier neighborhoods, where I am used to seeing

plenty of it. But when it pops up in the rather chic areas, such as my

Montparnasse, it tends to stand out even more. And I take notice. The more

stylish surroundings frame and contrast the work better, enhancing its

presence and impact.

This has been the case this summer with a spate of interesting examples

along boulevard Raspail.

I first notice two rather discrete, but hilarious small posters, that cheekily

tweaked establishment rule through Duchampian understatement. Next to

official metal plaques announcing a restricted area that forbids posters were

placed rectangular posters agreeing with the restriction.

But then came a wave of full-sized human figure posters that confronted and

provoked. This work consisted of a series of young people holding

announcement cards presenting themselves to the street as queer, lesbian,

and alternative sexual preference.

Lesbian

Queer

Queer

Altersexual

Altersexual

There was a fourth and different lesbian poster immediately across the street

from my front door, but that one was torn down the day after it was placed

there, leaving behind a ghostly witness.

Removed Lesbian

Removed Lesbian Traces

I don’t exactly know what meaning the posters are trying to convey, but I

take them to insist something such as: We are Queer, We are here, Get used

to it.

And we are used to it. Directly around the corner from the destroyed Lesbian

poster, at 27 rue de Fleurus, sits permanently the marble plague announcing

the abode of the famous lesbian couple Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.