Day 4, Paris

Day 4:  Paris

Quote of the Day: Seeing one piece of art you covet in a day makes the day a huge success

Weather: Another lovely fall day, shirtsleeves all day long

THe huge half loaf at top is better than Tartine, moving it to #1 world-wide

We conserve energy by taking the bus to our first stop, picks us up just down the street from the apartment

Breakfast same-same: pastries and bread. We have 11am appointment with Elsa Vanier to discuss DB’s interest in another ring being made with stones DB already owns. Much cheerful banter and options discussed and one phone call to the jewelry artist who is in Israel at the moment. We’ll return on Saturday for decision making meeting.

MS and DB outside our first choice for lunch: they had a fire in June and haven't re-opened yet. It's a long story on how this turned out serendipitous for us

Ze Kitchen Galerie

Even chairs are arty; the presentation of the food is definitely artful

MS, our art guide for the afternoon, meets us at Elsa’s. They are friends, which we knew from our visit in 2015. Last time we spent time with MS she had just become a grandmother (and her mother, who lives close by, a great-grandma), and was just starting out her second career as an art consultant (she was an attorney until then).

Carrot gazpacho soup amused bush, with a hint to something we can't quite identify

Multi-grain with strong crust

Tuna 

Cod with ginger soup poured around the dish, greens crisp

Figs are in season and were taking advantage

Strawberries, raspberry "jam", a bit of cream and white chocolate sticks the consistency of Styrofoam (light and airy)

She’s terrific, we really enjoyed our day with her in 2015 This time she is super-terrific. Lunch at Ze Kitchen Galerie: excellent food (we all have the fish and dessert menu), great bread (we turn down a second helping, much to THB’s regret), quiet, and a review of the schedule for the day (a mix of edgy new artists and some old, established artists). We also book lunch for Saturday at the chef's sister restaurant, Kitchen Ter(re), part of the long story of how we ended up eating lunch here. And, the service is as expected in a nice Parisian restaurant: attentive, plenty of staff for the number of diners, no cutting corners.

Off we go, and end up with several “options” (with work on hold for a day). Here are pics of some of the finalists (unfortunately, THB did not get pics of all of them, or of even the galleries...where was THB the photographer when things of importance were at hand? Gazing at art):

Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve

Romaine Bernini: The first pic is "mounted" on the canvas Bernini used to clean his brushes, which we really liked.

This series of pics are mounted on a wall of canvas, each picture has some of the paints "behind" it that were used in the painting on top. The hand gestures are aboriginal hand signs

Galerie Anne-Sarah Benichou: Yann Lacrois, usually two images, one painted atop the other

Martine Aboucaya Galerie

Angela Detanico / Rafael Lain: Metamorphoses 

This is a very bad representation of one of the four installations of a well-know artist: there's a "white" open book on a pillar with a projector hanging from the ceiling. The colors projected onto the books slowly appear and retreat, it is a James Turrell like work, mesmerizing

Galerie Michel Rein

Enrique Ramirez

Another well known artist has filled the gallery with inter-connected pieces based on his father's career as a sail-maker 

Intentionally poor grammar

There's a screen in top left that shows the ocean...kind of a version of the Jennifer Bartlett on display in Naoshima

The last few galleries on MS’s list are within a few doors of our apartment (the Marais is loaded with galleries, one of the reasons we like staying here). It’s after 5pm and the three of decide to sit, take our shoes off, and mull in the apartment. THB says no to DB’s favorite, just not sure about the ability to appreciate the piece over the long-term. We agree on two other “options” and one of MS’s services is to handle the negotiation (not much of one, from our perspective) and payment/shipping details.

THB is thrilled: a great day is if THB’s sees one piece of enchanting art, and today we have a large number…awesome, dude!!

THB will post the "options" chosen after negotiations are complete {or you could just give THB your fave and he will crowd-source the options to select}

MS’s fee for the day: $220 and THB adds a $55 tip (unbelievable bargain, MS is delightful, insightful, and amazingly helpful).

Dinner of various charcuterie and cheeses provided by MB and DB, wine, a heated clafouti, tomatoes, biscuits and much chatter about our days and the affairs of state (upbeat and depressing, no?).