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By Jo Med
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<font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><font face="Calibri">Spring Fling 2011 – La Luciole, a Parisian Café bar.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></font></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">Let’s take aromp through the artist’s quarter of Paris, Montparnasse maybe, sometimebetween 1895 and 1915.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make no claimsof historical accuracy or authenticity; I simply wanted to try and recreate thefeel of the time and place. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">We are on theRue de Villiers, a small street crammed with interesting shops and café barsand the haunt of bohemian café society. Artists, musicians, actors and cabaretartistes spend their time in La Luciole, an Art Nouveau café bar, discussingand debating but mostly getting drunk and seducing one another. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La Luciole has been around for years and Alphonse,the barman, has seen it all in his time and knows how to keep the patrons inorder. It attracts both the cream of Parisian café society and the less savouryelements who populate the area, a powerfully magnetic mix. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Felix can regularly be seen propping up thebar and chatting to Alphonse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OutsideHenri, an artist from a wealthy banking family, sits <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>watching the world go by and occasionallysketching while Madame Jeusette takes her daily stroll to the boulangerie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a bit of waste land, under the street lampSolange waits for customers. Solange is only 21 but already has 3 children ofher own and several younger siblings to feed. During the day she sells flowersand any odds and ends she can gather or steal. She sells other things at night.<o:p></o:p></font></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gustave lives in the apartment above the bar.He’s an artist, not yet celebrated but he’s not starving in a garret either. Hemakes his living painting advertising posters and theatrical costume designs buthe has big dreams for the future. One day his work will be sought afterworldwide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blanche is Gustave’s muse,beautiful, slender and intriguing and if Gustave were being completely honesthe would admit to being just a little in love with her. She is a bit of wildchild, a cabaret artiste who is currently performing in a revue at the Casinode Paris. In a couple of years she will be the toast of Paris and will be lost toGustave forever, but for now she is busy making her name, seeking newexperiences and can often be found in Gustave’s studio either posing for theartist or just chatting and drinking coffee. <o:p></o:p></font></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Calibri">The dolls inthis scene are made by me as are many of the furnishings and accessories. Ihave been influenced by the work of many artists and miniaturists over the lastcouple of years but in particular by the work of Ronan-Jim Sevellec and Sylviade Groot<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>both of whom create incrediblyrealistic and detailed pieces with a European flavour; grubby, lived-in scenesthat draw you in and amaze you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hopethat someone might say, yes - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La Lucioledid that for me too.</font></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font>
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