Nemo found. Where? In 13th district of Paris. Actually I found his two works and one of his friend -Jef Aerosol. Those two are the artists who began the story about Street Art in Paris. Already long ago. About Jef Aerosol I wrote few months ago here Now is the time for Nemo. (wikipedia only in French)
Below I'm presenting one of his work (from march 2004!) (photo presenting entire art work here) that is extended on the entire wall. He has integrated perfectly a silhouette of a man, hurrying down the stairs, loosing meanwhile all his affairs: suitcase and umbrella. At least, we think so at first glance. Then we're starting to notice, that he's not hurrying down the stairs, but fishing actually. There's a red fishing-rod in his hand. Behind the bushes(bottom left), there's a water drawn, together with the paper boat and a red balloon above.
Not only this man - by the bye reminding me a detective from some novel - but also the black cats, fish, blue parrots, colorful little stars, light blue water, paper boats and other childhood-like stuff are the elements of each and every piece work of this artist. I think that Nemo (some more works to see here) shows how an adult person, serious and dignified, would try to connect with the world that he doesn't belong to anymore. Namely his own childhood... How he would like to go back in time (space even) and become a child once again. For that he uses all these little colorful elements, to achieve a "dreamy", magic, fairy tale-like atmosphere. Black gentleman with a hat is a perfect contrast to it.
About Nemo himself, there's a book to buy by Daniel Pennac. His real name is Serge Fauri(by wikipedia) and he started as a computer scientist for a living. After started to amuse himself by painting the black gentleman on the damaged walls, doors and windows to offer a little poetry to those sad places. Sometimes he co-works with Jérôme Mesnager and his white characters that meets his mysterious black man.
Above: destroyed a bit, but still visible, gold fish. Definitely the simplicity of the used components, the message of the artwork, the composition that captures everybody's eye made him one of the best artist in the history of Parisian street art. Jef Aerosol, his friend, as they were working together, quickly found an excellent graphic answer to those "lost dreams". Namely, it's a pensive boy, staring somewhere far away. Probably the realization of what "the man with a hat" looks for, a bridge between the adulthood and childhood. The boy lost in a dreamland, or a boy who is afraid to join one day the reality of a black silhouette.
Here you can see the photo taken by balavenise, before the bushes have covered it all over.
Only few meters far away from the first art piece of Nemo, we can already find a second one. Much more smaller and "modest" in composition, yet still moving the imagination of the adults and children, who are passing by rue Pirandello.
Few districts further, another work of Nemo found. Blue parrot, giraffe, butterfly and the mighty red balloon instead of a red umbrella this time... The man in black has always a good company!
In the same place, just around the corner, I found something that I considered, at first glance, as a kind of poster about photography. Then I realized it's a art piece of Jana und JS artists (on flickr), who were invited to work for Lezarts de la Bievre. Austrian-French couple moved to Salzburg in Austria after spending some years in Paris and Madrid.
What we can read about them on their website: their works fit well the urban spaces as well as a closed rooms like exhibitions areas etc. (personally I prefer the urban context, as they beautifully compose and integrate the silhouettes of people within city areas, old houses, walls, trams etc).
Quote from the website: "Inspired by the city and its architecture that is constantly changing, but also by those who live and observe, they paint landscapes, simple architectural details and portraits in mirror sets and transparency. They use the stencil technique, based solely on their photographic work."
In the work presented above I really like a lot this urban game accent, which provides an average passer to play with it by placing any kind of object on the stack and laugh at a "photographer" taking photos of it.
