Please fill in all fields and then click Submit.
Once submitted, your comment will be sent for approval by one of our editors.
Up close and (very) personal: An original artistic journey
This is the first of a two-part article written by artist Lilianne Milgrom. Milgrom is Paris-born but currently resides in Washington DC. She shares with Bonjour Paris her unique journey in which she explored female sexuality through her very personal encounter with one of Paris' most infamous treasures... (Lilianne can be contacted by e-mail here )
Which artist in his or her right mind would turn down a spontaneous offer to stay in a Parisian atelier (artist loft) for seven weeks with the sole purpose of creating art? Specifically artwork exploring the sexual nature of women. Definitely not this artist!
So what if I already had a plane ticket in hand to join my husband in New Delhi? No big deal. Airlines are used to cancellations and last-minute changes. And so what if the invitation happened to coincide with the most severe winter in recent French history? No problem - that’s why long johns and fur hats were invented. With only ten days notice, the real problem lay in the fact that I lacked a definitive artistic plan of action. This is where serendipity and the magic of Paris would play key roles in one of the most exciting and memorable artistic experiences of my life.
My art is often inspired by socio-political global events and the universal human condition which connects us all. During the past year however, my artistic focus has taken a more introspective turn. My recent works explore my own sexuality and the current sexual spotlight being placed on “older” women in Western society. During my residency in Paris, I was keen to delve further into this subject. Being Paris-born and having lived for extended periods of time in Australia, Israel and the United States, I was also interested in examining the disparate cultural mores regarding this topic. Armed with these vague artistic goals, a suitcase full of art materials and a suitably chic wardrobe, I landed at Charles de Gaulle airport on a freezing cold January morning.
Two days after my arrival, a fortuitous visit to the Musee d’Orsay presented me with the unexpected course my work would take for the duration of my stay. With Paris boasting no less than three hundred major galleries and museums, it can be tough choosing which ones to visit. The grand Musee d’Orsay, across the Seine from the Louvre, was first on my list. Its collections represent some of the finest examples of Western art from the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century. But what many visitors may not know is that the museum houses amongst its collection a painting with a rather notorious history. I am referring to Gustave Courbet’s L’Origine du monde (The Origin of the World).
Painted in 1866, Courbet’s masterpiece has not lost its original shock value. Publicly displayed for the first time in 1995, the museum’s website describes the painting as “an almost anatomical portrayal of the female sex organ, painted with daring and frankness”. Despite the daily barrage of sexually explicit imagery provided by our modern media, confronting the exposed genitalia of a young woman within a museum setting still makes you stop in your tracks. I found Courbet’s radical and unapologetic realism and the exquisite rendering of his subject truly inspiring. But what resonated even more deeply was the title – The Origin of the World. As I stood there taking in the profound significance of Courbet’s visual and verbal pairing with its subtle and not-so-subtle connotations, a light bulb went off in my head. This was IT. The perfect place to begin my artistic journey. The relevance of this work to my own artistic and personal objectives hit me like a speeding train. If I was intent on exploring female sexuality and my own identity as a woman within a Parisian context, I needed to start right here - at the beginning, the creation, the Origin of the World!
Without any forethought, I promptly presented myself at the information desk of the Musee d’Orsay informing a rather surprised museum representative of my intention to copy Courbet’s L’origine du Monde in a mere six weeks. I have never had the slightest interest in copying the works of masters before and had no idea what was involved in obtaining permission to do so from one of the world’s most renowned museums. Thanks to a remarkable combination of luck, determination and language skills, I found myself a mere two days later in possession of an official copiste badge, complete with a stunned photo of yours truly. And so began a most original and unique Parisian experience that would encompass all manner of artistic, cultural, social and sexual revelations.
Below is a short video interview with Lilianne about her experience, taken by Larry Langner, an American photojournalist who lives in Paris :
If you're coming to France (or for that matter anywhere) you can reserve your hotel here. To rent a car, Bonjour Paris recommends Auto Europe.
Please register HERE if you need a free Bonjour Paris user name and password.
