BONAPART CONSULTING & IVY PARIS - 2008

Susie Hollands, director and owner of Bonapart Consulting, a Paris-based real estate consultancy, commissioned Oxford, UK artist Joanna Walsh to create this dynamic carte de voeux for 2008. Hollands, who also founded the artist network, I V Y paris, a global coalition of some 400 visual artists who sometimes all converge on Paris for exhibitions and gatherings, has created a flourishing business and a vibrant community of aesthetically-minded shakers and movers. "This year, 2007, was our best year ever," she says, "and we wanted a card that communicates our enthusiasm for Paris, the art of real estate, and our belief that art is an integral part of our lives here – as is the Bon Marché!"

Joanna Walsh, was more than happy to contribute her exceptional talents to both Bonapart and ivy paris. Her illustrations which often focus on fashion and culture capture the speed and humor of Paris street bustle in this piece. "Susie is quite special and the reason why both Bonapart – I'm a client! – and ivy paris –I'm a member! – are so successful. This was a very cool project. I also think I did a good job on Sarkozy!" [See if you can find the French President in the crowd]. Joanna is currently writing and illustrating a book about Paris.

Lalande Digital Art Press Paris works with artists and companies like Bonapart and I V Y paris to produce custom-designed communications all year round. Whether they are cartes de voeux (New Year's cards), posters, books, catalogs or large and small format limited edition prints, Lalande works very closely with clients to provide a unique service in the heart of Paris. Contact us for your cartes de voeux and New Year's cards.

Blue Ceiling at 59 : Danielle Voirin

Looking up: "Blue Ceiling at 59" by Danielle Voirin a new print by Lalande Digital Art Press is now available. The edition is unlimited and signed by Voirin; the work measures 60 cm x 80 cm, and is printed on 192 gram weight Epson Enhanced Matte paper.

BUY THIS PRINT
Price : 100 euros HT. You can purchase using Paypal: Order here: LALANDE PRINTS. (This image by Voirin is © 2006-2007 and reproduction in any form, printed or used on the web is strictly prophibited unless permission is granted by Danielle Voirin).

59 Rue de Rivoli was one of the most well-known artist squats in Paris. The large hotel particulier along one of the busiest axes in Paris housed up to 30 artists at its peak and served as a hothouse for artistic invention for years. But the City of Paris wasn't terribly pleased with the situation and after a massive struggle moved the artists to another building in the 18th arrondisement.

Danielle Voirin befriended a dozen artists at 59 Rue de Rivoli and documented the interiors, exteriors of the squat and many of the artists who spent years there. "The 'Blue Ceiling' was taken when I spent two weeks photographing the squat and artists as they were moving across town," says Danielle. "The City of Paris had by then decided to close the building for 15 months of renovations starting last November. I don't know if the artists will ever move back. In anycase, that era is gone."

The blue-celinged room with its bare lightbulbs drawing lines across the molding is one of Danielle's favorites from the hundreds of photos she took of the squat. "I don't remember anything else about the space where I took this; I was always looking up at that Mediterranean blue."

"Blue Ceiling at 59" was exhibited at the Carrousel du Louvre, through IVY Paris, and at Labo Photo Melco in the 19th where it was part of a portrait of 59 rue de Rivoli that paired black and white images of the artists with colorful shots of the building's interior. To order this print by Pay Pal or other means, contact Danielle Voirin directly.

The Fairer Sex : A Private View

What do six women do on a Friday night in Paris? Compare notes? Yes! And photos. Projected on an atelier wall, images by six women photographers will be viewed by a private, invitation-only group in a show entitled "The Fairer Sex" this Friday, 28 September. Organized and hosted by Danielle Voirin, (she took my profile photo), the idea came to her when someone recently asked her if she knew many women photographers in Paris. "No," she said, much to her own surprise. Then a friend from Planet Waves, out of the blue, offered her a slide projector destined for storage and the concept of a small, intimate show took shape. Through word of mouth and loose associations, she selected the five other photographers from France, the U.S., Italy and Finland: Vilma Pimenoff, Anne-Sophie Jal, Aurelie Prissette, Elena Rossini, and Sue Rynski.

While sex is the subject, it is not always the object with these photographers. The feminine eye these women cast on the world about them, opens up not only on fashion details (rings, nails, shoes), but architectural details as well (concrete edges, bricks, rain on cobblestones) and the female body in corporeal and incorporeal form. Visit their web sites to take a closer look at the breadth of their projects. And please feel free to comment below.

Lalande Digital Art Press helped out producing a card and invitation to mark the event (above). The Fairer Sex is also supported by Susie Hollands, Lalande friend and artist, and her Paris-based artist association, IVY PARIS.

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Top row : Aurélie Prissette, Anne-Sophie Jal, Sue Rynski; Bottom row : Vilma Pimenoff, Elena Rossini, Danielle Voirin