I did not see any name anywhere near this graffito, but I knew right away who made it: drew this: Jeff Aerosol. In fact, among the many graffiti artists that we have in Paris, Jeff Aerosol is probably the most famous one. I found this cute little scene at the entrance of in La rue du chat qui pêche, the smallest street in Paris, I already talked about here in 2008. update. MY MISTAKE : this piece of art does not belong to Jeff Aerosol but to Nemo of Belleville (who does not seem to have a web site...)
Ah, you have to love Paris, where even the graffiti is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI thought of Miss.Tic as soon as I saw this piece since these last several years she has been incorporating cats into her work. Also, she works in B&W with red. There is a feminine touch to this piece. It looks like someone(s) copying her style. www.missticinparis.com She is very distinctive and has been around for years, it wouldn't surprise me. We won't say how long, because it is rude to discuss a woman's age. :-) I noticed that someone tagged this piece with scribble/scrabble.
ReplyDeleteOk, I can now deal with the tagger's mark below the umbrella after reading your caption about the street, since now it looks to me just like a fish!
ReplyDeleteHappy kitty. ;-)
Oh, also, this piece was done with a stencil(s) which is another one of Miss.Tic's trademarks.
ReplyDeleteI just noticed the vine curling up the lamppost! Nice juxtaposition with the figures and the juction box. I really like the composition - rectangles galore and shades of grey making a storm that fish and kitty are both protected from!
ReplyDeleteBut, is this not Nemo?
ReplyDeleteThis is soooo wonderful! What a thrill it must be to happen upon such a piece as you walk down the street.
ReplyDeleteI saw a Jeff Aerosol in NYC one day and 3 days later, the bldg owner had it painted over! It was of Woody Allen.
ReplyDeleteI met Miss Tic at a gallery . As far as age is concerned, she is now definitely a Madame!!
M. Aerosol is making a reference, or perhaps an homage.
ReplyDeleteThis is not an umbrella.
Definitely an homage.
ReplyDeleteAh, Lucio. You're an expert. What would you say is the difference, in an artwork, between a reference and an homage?
ReplyDeleteGreat photo, Eric! I passed right by here and did not see this—but did see Jeff Aerosol's work in other places around town while I was there. (And the no-talent taggers should have more respect!)
ReplyDeleteI must agree with Mpls Loves France. Only in Paris is the graffiti classy.
ReplyDeleteCarrie is correct! This work is attributed to Nemo, the Pochoiriste from Belleville. The red line that is partially obscured by the lamppost is the cats fishing pole! Of this information I am certain...but it does not diminish the smile that your photo brings to my face. Merci, Eric! =)
ReplyDeleteThat one is really cool!
ReplyDeleteBut we (in San Francisco) have a couple of Banksy's, believe it or not... So there!
(hmmm.... apparently, you do too
http://www.playcloths.com/blog/?p=1427
Petrea: Me? An expert? If only that were true! Thanks for the compliment, though. It helps me segue into an answer which I hope you'll find satisfactory. A reference need not be (although it can be) complimentary, whereas an homage (by definition) is.
ReplyDeleteGreat, I've seen this too in a grainy old iPhone image! I think it's Nemo actually though - he's always doing the black raincoated man with the red umbrella or balloon or cat or something! Love this street and I've often photographed it. They say it's the narrowest in Paris, but I've got a feeling there's another even narrower..!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, almost all graffiti I've seen in Paris is simply vandalism - rather like a dog urinating upon a post. Genuinely beautiful pochoirs from the likes of Banksy are so rare. Jef Aerosol sprays walls illegally, but his expos are also found in true galeries. Several times, I have been almost heartbroken to see beautiful outdoor sculptures and fountains defaced by graffiti without art or soul. I wish Paris could somehow make room for the true street artists while rejecting the vandals.
ReplyDeleteCarrie/Beau Gosse/Sab, are you suggesting that Eric doesn't know his Nemo from his Aerosol? :)
ReplyDeleteRe Picnic, can't do June as already arranged my Paris trip for last week in May when it was supposed to take place.
Oh well, fingers crossed!
Very interesting piece of work. I think having the cat there added just the right touch.
ReplyDeleteI just love the way you wrote 'grafito' instead of the usual 'grafiti' spelling.
ReplyDeleteI like when people do take care of words, like you do.
Great graphic designing,i really enjoyed it,amazing work
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was "Singing in the Rain"! Looks a little like he's dancing and singing, swinging his umbrella around while waiting to jump in the puddle off the curb. How fun!
ReplyDeleteI am not usually a fan of this type of thing, but this is really cool...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lucio, I knew you'd know.
ReplyDeleteIt's an homage: http://bit.ly/fiklE9
Nice catch!
ReplyDeleteGo for late May, so Drummond can be there. You must have a court jester's wisdom, and I won't be there!
OK, shame on me : "This work is attributed to Nemo, the Pochoiriste from Belleville." You are right Carrie (and all the others).
ReplyDeleteBoooooooh!
@Drummond. you're right, I originally said it would take place end of May, so I should stick to what I said! And I will.
It's me you know, I'm just trying to please everyone...
Oh Eric,, I think I know how Cinderella felt when she was told, "You SHALL go to the ball Cinderella!"
ReplyDeleteYou can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but.....
I"m not a fan of a lot of graffiti but must admit to a love for Jeff's work. Who can deny this fabulous shot with the red umbrella? Oh I wish I'd found it Eric!!!
ReplyDeleteV
Hello !
ReplyDeleteThis piece is not mine but was painted by my friend Nemo. We have a few things in common, that's right : we use stencils, black/red colours, life size people, a few animals... But Nemo only paints silhouettes of himself (with his raincoat and hat) whereas my characters aren't only black silhouettes. Besides, my trademark is the red arrow that can be found in all my pieces.
Thanks a million for the very kind words about my work !
More there : http://www.jefaerosol.com
Cheers
Jef Aérosol