There are sayings like beauty is only skin deep,; don’t judge a book by its cover; all to make us go past what appears in front of us and get to the heart of what is. Sometimes however what’s on the outside is just as interesting as the inside or what lies beneath.
On this day, while in Paris, I went to the Pompidou Museum, to discover the works of Dora Maar, a photographer who became Picasso’s intimate friend and subject of his paintings.
The Pompidou, opened in 1977 against the critics who claimed it looked like an oil refinery. Despite their short sighted view, it opened with a huge success and continues to do so today, housing great contemporary art along with its public library and center for new music.
Inside, its large spacious rooms, one doesn’t feel crushed by the crowd nor have to fight to see the paintings or other art works, that are sometimes a challenge in older museums. However it’s what’s on the outside that is visually attracting, especially for a photographer, and this Miami Photographer had as much an admiration for what its exterior had to offer as its interior did.
Exterior escalators connect the glassed tunnels that run along the exterior of the facade. More than an entrance to each floor, the tunnels offer views of the city,
and gives it an appreciation for a creative structure that says this is something really different. To me, besides the art, it is a place to be experienced, as much as to be seen.
I used to walk around with my 20 lb camera bag full of lenses and a spare backup camera…a lot of film as well. I felt secure and ready for anything that popped up on the street. The problem ( for those who have never experienced those days ) was that when something did turn up, by the time I reached for what I thought I would need, the magic moment was gone. As time went on, my bag got lighter and my shoulder less sore.
MattPacePhoto 