Marais Walk

I was surprised when I came to Paris and saw the amount of graffiti that lined the walls. I was even more surprised that on this walk we were told that there was an area where you can go to see it in abundance. I mean this is such an old respected city architecturally, why would you paint on it, the walls are too old for that. But to my surprise I found some of it cool. I need to say I am not usually someone who likes graffiti because to me it looks all the same unless we are talking about standouts like Invader, Banksy, and Mr Brainwash. I kept my mind open to it all though before going.

So I embarked on my travels with a list in hand of the very few directions to complete the walk.I got out of the St Sebastian metro crossed the street and started my walk. At first I noticed little graffiti, and what I did see was very typical big in your face fonts. Then it didn't take long to start letting my eyes look around and notice more. I saw a minotaur that used a real bull head integrated into the city and a painted body below. It was cool, really was, I do not know what street that was on though. How realistic it looked and something about it was attractive but since I just finished watching True Detective, it was a little creepy. The amount of Invader street art I saw was very surprising. I only had seen stuff on him in documentaries and pictures online. I thought to myself while looking around “Is this guy from France or something?” because there is more Invader on one block then there is Banksy in NYC. Luckily my phone was out of power by then and I could not take a picture nor look him up to answer this question that was kind of obvious. As I continued my journey I just looked and walked, no opportunity to savor the art with my camera, it was almost like I was, without technology!? But never, I’m 19 and its 2015, I had my computer in my backpack and a charger, but was not about to take it out and use it as a camera. I might be dependent on technology, but I am not desperate. As I turned onto Rue du Pont aux Choux, which I continued on until finishing, I saw the graffiti creeping around from higher places and I noticed the area was very nice with very nice clothing shops, and very nice restaurants. Why would graffiti be in a nice area of Paris? Well I quickly accepted that it is a younger place now, most the people shopping there are younger and most the people eating are as well, so there aren't as many old people shitting on the younger generations ways anymore. On the other hand it can be seen like soho, very nice everything, but there is still graffiti, adding character to something old and been there for some time. Yet when I think about it again, the graffiti that covered the walls on Rue du Pont aux Choux was not graffiti, well not all of it. It was art. The art you would see in struggling parts of the US does not look like Invaders work or the others creative stencil work. This art that was once frowned upon now has different socioeconomic styles it seems. Moving on, I further walked down Rue du Pont aux Choux for a while, window shopping, look shopping, and shopping shopping. This enforced my view of how younger people are taking over this area because this clothing would not look good on your dad, you would beg him to stop trying to look hip and 30 years younger (my uncle). 

There are all types of graffiti you see in the Marais, and I found my self liking the more realistic ones and not the ones that took up a whole wall, too disorganized for me. I saw some pieces that used black and white really well with the creamy color of the walls as there backdrop, so much so I wanted to take a picture and make a shirt of some of it.

I came closer to the river and it became dark out, taking away from seeing the art at its most vibrant. I began to shop a little more and started walking into any store that looked cool, even women's stores, and through this found a cool jewelry store selling mens and women's stuff. Don't judge the store by who shops there is the lesson there. At this point I was very close to the river and had called it a day. I found the nearest metro and went on home. On the metro I reflected a little. Over that whole walk I saw so many “Je suis Charlie” pieces probably done weeks ago and will be there for a long time. As I can understand seeing the remnants of an old Invader piece, a piece of art that doesn’t have nearly as much meaning as a phrase like “Je sues Charlie” I would never quite accept nor understand if the city were to take down the “Je suis Charlie” graffiti works because everyone there relates with them, even foreigners, they have purpose to never forget, and its a statement not just a phrase. I hope they don’t cover those up for a very long time, a very long time.