16.7.08

Stravinsky Fountain



Very close to the Pompidou Centre (Beaubourg) you can find the Stravinsky Fountain. It was created in 1982 by Niki de Saint Phalle and her husband Jean Tinguely, inspired by Stravinsky’s music. It contains totally 16 sculptures. The most spectacular one is perhaps the Saint Phalle illustration of the Firebird (L’Oiseau de Feu), on the right of the top picture. These mechanical sculptures are still functioning some 25 years later (not always the case with other modern sculptures). (A video would have been better here.)

In the background you can see the flamboyant gothic church, Saint Merri, with its 14th century bell (the oldest one in Paris).








 

(I recently showed a Niki de Saint Phalle "Flying Angel" in Zürich and less recently "Birdman" by Jean Tinguely.)

32 comments:

catied said...

WOW! these are phenomenal. I love all the colors and how you always mix so many interesting and different textures in your photos. Thanks!

Kate said...

Delightful collection of photographs. I am so sorry that I missed these during my past visits to Paris. The colours, shapes and forms are very imaginative. Thanks for your visit to my blog and your kind comments; I appreciate it!!

Shionge said...

I can see myself chilling out and enjoying the colourful fountains :D

HZDP said...

wow, peter, it seems you have been keeping it daily for several days!!
I love the huge lip.funny, I used to have one Lip pillow~

Heather said...

Wonderful photos! I remember this fountain from a visit many years ago, but did not know that it was inspired by the music of Stravinsky. The fountain (particularly the lips) was also featured in the opening of an instructional program we sometimes watched in high school French class. Ah, the memories...!

Alain said...

25 ans, c'est pas mal, mais pas aussi bien que sa voisine des halles, la fontaine des innocents qui date d'Henri IV.

J'aime bien ce que faisait Nikki de Saint Phalle mais la plupart de ses oeuvres ne sont pas en France. Je sais qu'elle a conçu un jardin en Italie, mais je ne sais pas où il se trouve.

Olivier said...

pour repondre a notre ami Alain, c'est le jardin des Tarots (il se trouve à Garavicchio) et le theme en est.................les cartes du jeux de tarot ;o)).
Cette fontaine est tout simplement magnifique, surtout quand elle est en mouvement, c'est un endroit que j'adore dans Paris (en plus le quartier est superbe). Cette fontaine entre le modernisme (le centre pompidou) et le passé de Paris (l'eglise Saint Merri) est vraiement surprenante. Je suis totalement fan.

hpy said...

Je me souviens que tout le monde n'était pas d'accord pour apprécier ces sculptures en 1982!

Ash said...

Interesting and colorful :-)

claude said...

Alors là ! Vois-tu Peter, c'est le genre de trucs que je déteste.
Mais je sais, il en faut pour tous les goûts me diras-tu. pour moi, ceux qui eiment ce genre d'art on de drôles de goûts. Ce que je dis n'engage que moi, mais je suis assez d'accord avec moi-même !

SusuPetal said...

Oh, I like these! Fun!

Anonymous said...

A tourist place, that funny fountain, very photogenic. I like those work of art which move or can be moved somehow.

Anonymous said...

Wow...the colors are brilliant. I don't much like the green water but the rest is nice.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Fantastic Peter!
I Like the lips and all the beauty of your collages, like also the (bottom) train midway pic,

Answer my today's wednesday blog: No Peter... You cannot see a "Z" on my left sleeve, haha! I don't believe you were seaching for that, were you kidding me?

:) JoAnn/Holland

krystyna said...

Stravinsky Fountain looks fantastic. Right Peter,, video will be perfect with Stravinsky's music in background.

Have a wonderful day!

Shammickite said...

Such a contrast between the modern colourful sculptures and the ancient church in the background.

Ming the Merciless said...

Ahhh...the famous Stravinsky Fountain by the Pompidou Center. I remember it well.

Has the water in the fountain been green the whole time? I don't recall the green water.

Marie-Noyale said...

It's not a secret I love colors.. and this post pleases my eye...
I think it was a very good spot close to the centre Pompidou,and in the old Paris.Old and new for me is a good mixture.

stromsjo said...

A gothic church, music and modern sculptures. That's one interesting mix.

PeterParis said...

catied:
Thank YOU!

kate:
They will still be there for your next Paris visit! Sp, nice to se you active with blogging again!

shionge:
I'm sure you would be enthusiastic in front of this fountain!

PeterParis said...

zoe:
Yes, I was bit "daily" again, due to events! Il will be returning to a three times per week schedule again!

heather:
Interesting that you found the lips in such a program!

alain:
J'ai fait un post sur la fontaine des Innocents, il y a quelques mois! La réponse à ta question suit!

PeterParis said...

olivier:
Merci d'avoir répondu à Alain!

hpy:
Tout le monde n'aime pas le moderne!

ash:
Thanks!

PeterParis said...

claude:
C'est bien que tu es d'accord avec toi-même! Moi, j'aime bien le moderne, mais pas tout, ET l'ancien! Ici, j'aime bien!

susupetal:
Good!

april:
I agree, but unfortunately there are too many examples where similar mechanical sculptures are not working already after a few weeks or months!

PeterParis said...

abraham:
I don't know why the water is green!

joann:
I did not see a "Z"; I only zoomed on your empty sleeve!

krystyna:
I know, I should have made a video!

PeterParis said...

ex-shammickite:
Yes, I believe it's here a good "marriage" between old and new!

ming:
Sorry, but I have no answer about the green water!

marie-noyale:
Je vois que nous sommes d'accord!

per:
I agree!

Deepak Gopi said...

Hello Sir
Amazing photographs as usual.
there will be a new competition tomorrow @ my blog based on wild guess :):)

alice said...

Je croyais avoir écrit un mot hier mais je commence peut-être à dérailler (ce n'est pourtant pas la chaleur...). Je disais donc que je suis toujours étonnée par la vitalité des oeuvres de Niki de Saint Phalle dont l'enfance fut si perturbée. Et je suis toujours étonnée également quand je passe dans ce quartier du contraste si fort entre le centre Beaubourg et Saint Merri... Bonne journée, cher Peter!

lyliane six said...

Tous les goûts sont dans la nature, heureusement!
Mais en 1982 comme maintenant ces "sculptures" m'étonneront toujours, surtout à la place où elles ont été mises.

PeterParis said...

deepak:
I hope I can win again!

alice:
Bonne journée à tois aussi!

lyliane:
Je sais; tu n'es pa fan de l'art moderne!

sonia a. mascaro said...

Wow! Stravinsky Fountain looks fantastic! Wonderful photos as always, Peter. Thanks for sharing.

Mona said...

That is another beautiful splash of color on your colorful blog!

k-k-k-kenny said...

It looks as if the sculpture has been repainted recently, and for that I am glad, as this fountain is so much fun when working properly - it looked pretty sad when I showed it to the kids a couple of years ago. Haven't changed the water, though ...