Location | Paris: Meet Field School Blogger Rosaura Ojeda

Meet Rosaura! (photo courtesy: Andres Perez)

Tell us a little bit about yourself—school, background, major, reasons for taking this trip, anything else interesting you want to share.

Rosaura (far right) with Andres and Charis at the Opera House (photo courtesy: Kyubo Yun)

It all started with a little girl who enjoyed art class a little bit more than anything she was ever assigned to do in school who goes by the name of Rosaura Ojeda, also known as myself. I was born in Valencia, Venezuela in 1991. At the age of three I moved to Kortrijk, Belgium, which allowed me to travel all over Europe and visit a lot of different countries, even though I hardly remember anything. Three years after, I moved back to Venezuela. At the age of eighteen, I moved again with my family to Surrey, British Columbia, Canada in search of a better life. At the moment, I'm studying General Studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University but hoping to transfer to another program to become an architect in the next few years. Even though I feel like I've moved around a lot, my way of thinking hasn't changed: art is still the highlight of my studies. My interest in art has always been somewhat spontaneous and without background, as no one in my family has ever had the same interest in art as I have. This has always made me feel not confident enough about my knowledge and left me thinking that I don't know enough about art and its history. Because of that, I've been trying to catch up on that and what better way to learn about art history than in such a historical and artistic city as Paris?

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about Paris so far?

The most contemporary architecture of Paris can be found in the section of the city known as La Defense (photo courtesy: Kyubo Yun)

I think that what has surprised me the most of this trip is not something that we encountered in the museums or exhibitions, but on the streets. The immense monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, have left me speechless while standing right next to them feeling completely small. The Eiffel Tower, in particular, made me scream when I saw it that close, as I was turning around the corner of the Architecture Museum, which blocked my view of it. It was as if I had completely forgotten the tower existed and I was seeing it for the first time. Another thing that has surprised me a lot is the classic look that the city is still able to maintain and pull-off without people thinking that the city is not taken care of enough or is not modern enough. All of the urban environment has been planned and distributed so that the most modern buildings are all located in one area of the city (La Defense), not overshadowing the older buildings of the city, which Parisians seem to take much more pride in than the modern ones.

Give us some insight into your assigned art work from the Musee d’ Orsay. After seeing the work in person, what struck you most about it and/or how did the art work’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

Berthe Morisot, Young Girl in a Ball Gown (1879)

In our visit to The Orsay, I came across my assigned painting Young Girl in a Ball Gown by Berthe Morisot on the 5th floor in the Impressionists Exhibition. The painting is average sized and positioned in the left corner of the third room from the entrance, with soft but colourful tones, and seemed to radiate for me as I impatiently looked around for it. I didn't like where she was positioned because I think it is an amazingly beautiful painting that deserves a lot more recognition than it has been given by placing it on a corner and next to a painting of flowers. On the other hand, I was surprised to notice that the colours were a lot brighter than I was expecting based on the internet images.  I also noticed that the texture was incredibly thick especially on the dress where you could see some extreme relief on the flowers, which I'm pretty sure was intentional as it only appears in that region. The brush strokes were very obvious, which made the looseness with which the Impressionists painted very visible. I was able to see Berthe Morisot's intention of going against The Salon's idealistic techniques a lot more. I was also able to see a lot of different strokes and details that I couldn't see on the pictures, such as a red stroke or line on the right side of the background, which made me wonder whether it was an accident or Morisot intentionally wanted that line there as well as other little details that could be argued or be seen as mistakes by others. 

Today’s activity was at the Palais de Tokyo and the Paris Museum of Modern Art. What were your impressions?  What will you take away of the experience?  What, if any are the memorable moments for you?

One of several Dana Wyse packages designed to  solve culturally percieved "problems" with a simple pill

Today the group split into two groups, some of us went to Palais de Tokyo's Intense Proximities contemporary exhibition and others to the Musee d' Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris for the Robert Crumb retrospective exhibition. Intense Proximite addressed several ideas such as the crisis of universality, cohabitation and coexistence and linked them to race and ethnicity. The first impression I got from the exhibition was that everything was very well spatially placed. There was a perfect spot for everything, which made me wonder if the spaces were built around the art works or the art works were built to fit the space. The first floor was full of performance/video art that strangely and, maybe unintentionally, interacted with each other; however, they also addressed interesting subjects that in and of itself were interesting enough. Everything was bright and colourful surrounded by white walls. The underground floor had a very different feel to it: the whole floor was under construction and everything was very dark and somewhat scary. After walking around it for a bit, it made me wonder if they intentionally wanted the space to look under construction or it was something they couldn't help and decided to go with it. Similarly, the stairs hid art and history in them, filled with graffiti and some art pieces that I'm not sure if were there because they couldn't fit in the exhibition spaces or the artists intentionally wanted the pieces to be located next to the stairs. Everything seemed confusing and fascinating at the same time. I started to think that every single square inch inside the Palais de Tokyo was part of the exhibition and not just the exhibition rooms. When I reached the Bookshop, as we were about to leave, I realized my theory was right as another hidden art piece struck me by surprise. Dana Wyse's Jesus Had a Sister Productions has to be my favourite project featured in all of the exhibitions. Her art work, camouflaged as products that can be bought in the bookstore, consist of pills and other altered random objects, such as cigarettes and coins packaged in small little bags with labels that assure consumers that life could be made a lot easier by simply taking a pill and instantly solving extremely sensitive problems of contemporary society.

Rosaura and Amanda enjoying themselves at the Palais de Tokyo.

Location | Paris: Meet Field School Blogger Yvonne Littlewood

Meet Yvonne!

Tell us a little bit about yourself—school, background, major, reasons for taking this trip, anything else interesting you want to share.

My name is Yvonne Littlewood and I am studying Interior Design at the Richmond campus of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. I am very passionate about the architectural experiences that I can gain from travelling and trying to experience the world of design. Starting from a traditional art background I learned that my infatuation was not necessarily about the art work but, instead, the design process. After much research and time I discovered my love for architecture. Originally I was planning to take my last upper level elective for my program as an art history class. Already having Dorothy as a professor previously, I was excited to fill my summer with her inspiring and profound lectures. Little did I know this summer is the first Fine Arts Field School from Kwantlen, led by Dorothy and Nancy (Duff) to Paris, for the most beneficial and true experience of the Parisian life style. With little convincing I decided having art history classes inside the Louvre and Osary was the most exciting trip I could ever dreamed of. Though the trip is very expensive, especially for a student, the pros out weighted the cons. As a group you are able to experience more with a sense of safety and comfort. Daily during the evening times you are free to explore as much as you can! Groups disperse and lose themselves to a city with endless character. Like the members of this class, each story is unique to the individual.

Yvonne (far left) with Tessa, Amanda ans Shannon out and about exploring Paris. (photo courtesy: Kyubo Yun)

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about Paris so far?

The first day, for me, was the most surprising; everything was done in such a rush I had no time to take in such a contrast of Paris to my home, Vancouver. Whether it is was the lack of sleep or the couple glasses of French wine, our group gathered in joy and excitement for the future of our trip after unpacking that night. After weeks of compressed classes, endless readings, saving every penny, I was standing side by side with my peers in Paris. I am unashamed to label myself as an over excited nerd for design and architecture so it was no surprise that my favorite museum/attraction was the architecture museum in Paris. Every attraction we have seen so far has been unique and interesting in its own way.  Something that I will take back with me from Paris is the idea of leisure. Parisians spend many hours in cafes, meeting up with friends and go out shopping each day of to buy groceries for that night’s dinner. The cafes and bakeries line every street in Paris, which is something I wished we had back at home. Every restaurant is smaller in scale but offers a grander experience with its boutique look. If I could describe the streets compared to home, Gastown is the best description. The people are not as friendly compared to Vancouver in the sense that the metro is virtually silent, however people are always willing to help if you ask. I speak only five words in French but I haven’t had a problem getting through the city because most people can speak some English. Overall a two week trip sounds short but I have so many experiences vastly different from each other that I can’t chose just one as my favorite because they are all equally special and something I can never forget.

Laughing it up on top of the Arc de Triomphe! From left to right top: Tessa, Yvonne, Shannon, Jessica bottom: Kenny, Andres, Charis, Amanda, Wei (photo courtesy: Kyubo Yun)

Give us some insight into your assigned art work from the Musee d’ Orsay. After seeing the work in person, what struck you most about it and/or how did the art work’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

Louis Welden Hawkins, The Eiffel Tower (1889)

I was assigned a late Impressionist painting by Louis Welden Hawkins, better known for his symbolist style of painting. In his painting (The Eiffel Tower) a statue sits on the edge of the Orsay facing the Eiffel tower and is known as the first advertisement for the famous landmark. Hawkins knew the world was coming to Paris to see the World’s Exhibition in 1889 and the Eiffel tower was the main spectacle. Hawkins was a smart man who adjusted his style and changed his subjects to have his work on display in the Orsay for the world to see.  Online, my painting is said to be on display in the Orsay but sadly hasn’t been for the last ten years. I feel as though I know the Orsay like the back of my hand from running around taking pictures inside the historic building for over six hours. I did find a mask of Hawkins’ face completed by a close friend of his. I also found the statue in his painting outside on the foregrounds of the Orsay. On top of that I found another painting of his but surprisingly nothing of his work in either the symbolist, impressionist or late Impressionist section. Disappointed but still so excited from seeing paintings of masters I have been studying for years, I accepted the fact that the painting I studied was hidden underneath the Orsay in storage. I do hope that Hawkins La Eiffel will go on display again for the world to see as a great example of the popularity of Impressionist paintings had during this time.

Today’s activity ended up allowing for an unscheduled free day. What were your impressions?  What will you take away of the experience?  What, if any are the memorable moments for you?

Place des Vosges is an amazing architectural site to visit in Paris. (photo courtesy: Dorothy Barenscott)

Tuesday, June 12^th’s events were drastically changed. The museums and attractions we attempted to go see were not open. So this day turned into a free day. Much like any class everyone is expected to attend what is planned for each day other than free days. So for some peers and myself, we wanted to get lost in the city and go out for dinner afterwards. In much need of coffee, we stopped at a cafe and ending up spending so much time there chatting away, we treated ourselves to lunch as well. Energized and refreshed we headed for the St Paul’s metro stop to find the oldest square in Paris (Place des Vosges) . The streets are lined with endless boutiques that caught our attention as we found our way to this hidden square. As you walk into the central garden you are surrounded by identical townhomes. Taken after the Romans, the first floor of the homes were stores facing the inside of this square. Today we were unable to see any museums, however, we found over 15 galleries of local artist. Keeping stores in mind for future purchases, we headed home exhausted from hours of walking. I took a nap before dinner and headed with my sketch book and media in hand to one of the groups’ rooms for a “salon party”.  Drinking more French wine alongside friends, together we spent another late night laughing and sharing the experiences of our day. 

Interior shot of one of Yvonne's favourite spots, The Architecture Museum of Paris. (photo courtesy: Dorothy Barenscott).

Location| Paris: Meet Field School Blogger Courtney Burt

Meet Courtney! Having some fun with the Eiffel tower optics around the city.

Tell us a little bit about yourself—school, background, major, reasons for taking this trip, anything else interesting you want to share.

Courtney discovering the bottom end of the famous Louvre pyramid in the underground entrance to the museum. (photo courtesy: Kyubo Yun)

Hey, my name is Courtney Burt and I am a fourth year Bachelor of Fine Arts student studying at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. It was in kindergarten when I won my first award after a drawing I had done at school was submitted to a contest juried in China. I continued to submit artworks to this contest throughout my primary school years never failing to achieve some sort of acknowledgement. This was where my passion and love for creating started. I never really knew exactly what it was that I wanted to do or what I wanted to be-- growing up I focused my time on playing sports and taking art classes, none of which I saw offering a career path. However, my doubts have subsided and doing what I love has lead me to where I am today in my art practice and study. I chose to be a part of this Paris trip because as a traveler I believe that there is a different, a more substantial, unique experience offered within each country. I am learning and experiencing the culture, city and way of life in a way that just being a tourist does not provide. This is my second time traveling with school, my first trip being a semester abroad in Auckland, New Zealand, studying and practicing art at UNITEC. Traveling with school and an open purpose of education is how I see myself continuing my travels for the future, fulfilling my life goal of traveling the world. 

Taking a break at the gardens. From left to right: Rosaura, Courtney, Alison, Tessa. (photo courtesy: Kyubo Yun)

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about Paris so far?
The city of Paris has not shocked me as much as I had predicted. The city itself, as beautiful as it is, does look like every photo or image I have ever seen of it, which I find disappointing. However, what I have found to be most amazing is the city’s transportation system. There is this underground world that is dirty and impressive beyond anything that I have ever experienced. This is my first experience traveling on public transit underground and it is both invasive and congruous at the same time. An intricate maze of metro lines form a busy world beneath a world. You can go from one end of the city to the other without even seeing the city. As sad as it is to travel through the city and not even ever see any of it, the metro system has impressed me substantially, especially being a foreigner and not speaking the language, the metro has provided me with an easy direct way of getting from place to place. I have had many experiences that I will never forget on and getting to the metro. I do want to also bring light to, not only the convenience of the underground, but to the situation that travelers are warned about, what the cities of Europe are known for, pick pocketing. So far in my metro traveling I have witnessed two situations where a young girl has pick pocketed someone and either been caught and taken down by authorities or has accidentally failed and dropped the wallet being stolen (thankfully recovered by the owner). It is one thing to hear the stories about the metro systems in these countries but to actually have your personal space become a stranger’s personal space is the most shocking aspect of the way of life in Paris. If I could describe Paris in one word it would be Invasive.

Paris at night along the Seine.

Give us some insight into your assigned art work from the Musee d’ Orsay. After seeing the work in person, what struck you most about it and/or how did the art work’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

Gustave Courbet, The Spring (1868)

For this semester and trip I was assigned the art work The Spring by Courbet. I had to search more than others to find my painting in the Orsay as it was located in a room behind a room. This was the first indication that there was a lot more to the context of my painting then I expected, not to mention it was also in the same room as his painting The Origin of the World. Despite the illuminating nature of that painting I was too excited to see my own painting to even notice any others. It was an indescribable moment seeing my painting in real life. In order to fully experience it formally and contextually I grabbed a seat in the middle of the room on the floor and became a part of the entire situation or conversation. My understanding of the images sexual content before the trip was re-emphasized while being in that room because of the other paintings it was placed in presence with. Formally, there is much more of a painterly quality and the colours are brighter, fleshier, and pinker within the nude’s skin. What stood out to me the most is the black halo surrounding the females figure. I am still wondering to myself if this is an intentional quality painted by Courbet and if so what he is saying. This aspect of playing with flatness and depth is also very apparent in the entire painting. I could feel the struggle between them as my eye moved in and out of the image. The top left corner, in the text book images, appears with a lot of depth into a meadow beyond the forest trees, however; in person this area of the painting is completely flat. This creates a fighting struggle with the bottom of the painting, where the left leg of the female penetrates the water, is painted with a realistic reflection that creates realistic depth and entrance for the audience. Seeing the painting in person allows for so much more interpretation and rethinking many aspects of its context.

Today’s activity ended up being at the Catacombs for you. What were your impressions?  What will you take away of the experience?  What, if any are the memorable moments for you?

Miles of skulls and human bones on display at the Catacombs of Paris.

Today’s activity actually became a mish mash of galleries being closed so as an alternative I went to see the Catacombs. What used to be Paris’s stone mines have been renovated and are now known as The Catacombs which is located south of the former city gate, the “Barrière d’ Enfer”. Since 1874 this ossuary has held the remains of about six million people. Today we visited this tunnel that twists and turns underneath one of Paris’s districts. I instantly thought of the relationship between these tunnels and the metro, underground worlds. I just think that it’s interesting how Paris had to resort to life underground, during the renovation, to make room for the ordered structure above ground. After descending down a narrow spiral stone stairwell of nineteen meters we reached the chilling darkness and silence that resides in the long narrow tunnels. Beyond the halls I came upon an opening with the inscription "Arrêt! C’est ici l’empire da la Mort, meaning Halt!" "This is the Empire of the Dead, above the arch way." This was the entrance to the walls and caverns that hold the carefully arranged bones, skulls and femurs. During my experience underground I felt a bit sad, sad that these people were buried once and then dug up from their graves within the city and moved underground and also sad that it was an attraction. I felt though I was invading their spirits or burial grounds. I will make one last connection to these underground Catacombs and the city of Paris, the way the bones were lined up and meticulously placed against the walls in rows and rows reminds me of Haussmannization in the city, rows and rows of buildings all perfectly aligned, not one out of place. Not one bone or skull, not one human being out of place. 

Location | Paris: Meet Field School Blogger Wei Heng Liu

Meet Wei!

Tell us a little bit about yourself—school, background, major, reasons for taking this trip, anything else interesting you want to share.

Looking at a video installation at the Palais De Tokyo, from left to right: Courtney, Rosaura, Erin, Andres and Wei. (Photo courtesy: Kyubo Yun)

Hi everyone, I am Wei Heng. I am a 4th year Bachelor of Fine Arts student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Painting is my favorite medium to use in my art works, but I often question myself about doing paintings because it is challenging to come up with a new image which has not been done by others. The innovative invention in technology also makes traditional art mediums seem less effective and powerful. Therefore, I am taking both history and studio classes in Paris Fine Arts Field School to see how other contemporary artists express their ideas in their art works, and to experience a different culture outside of Canada. I am excited to explore Paris where I have never been to before, and I believe this trip will give me lots of inspiration for my future art practices. Plus, I am finishing my last two courses at Paris to complete my degree. My time at Kwantlen will end perfectly with full of wonderful memories at Paris with my instructors and classmates.

Seeing the buildings of Paris from atop the Arc de Triomohe helps set the city plan in perspective.

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about Paris so far?

The street leading up to our hotel in the 19th District of Paris.

I am surprised by the architecture in Paris. There are many beautiful antique buildings in the city. They create a romantic atmosphere. Their apartment buildings have one big wooden entrance door which has a security panel beside it, and there are tiny balconies and spiral pattered railings on each floor. Some of the first floor is used as business space, such as stores, restaurants, and cafes. I think it is fascinating to see how those antique buildings function as part of the modern city. Moreover, I was surprised by how the buildings are organized when I got to see the view of Paris at the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Except for the humongous Eiffel Tower, all the buildings have the similar height and aligned to the wide boulevards. I also saw some modern skyscrapers at a far distance, and the view of sunset was amazingly beautiful.

Give us some insight into your assigned art work from the Musee d’ Orsay. After seeing the work in person, what struck you most about it and/or how did the art work’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

Mary Cassatt, Girl in the Garden (1880-82)

My assigned artwork in the Orsay is Mary Cassatt's Girl in the Garden (1880-1882). Cassatt, an American painter, focuses on the subject matter, women, from a female point of view. When I found my painting located at a corner in the top floor, there was a woman standing in front of the painting and copying it in oil painting with her easel and sitting on a stool. I felt quite angry because she blocked my view, but at the same time, I was happy to see there was another person who really appreciated this painting. I was disappointed about the location of the painting because I think this very important painting deserves a bigger space for display. It was too closed to other paintings. I think the colors and brush strokes that Cassatt achieved struck me the most. The figure is luminous, especially her glossy dress. I saw details of her dress which had various colors and tones in layers, such as green, purple, blue, and white. I actually started to appreciate the quick sketchy background of the painting because it made an interesting contrast with the vivid depiction of the figure. I felt the painting become more lively, colorful and three dimensional when I saw it in person.

Today’s activity was at the Galeries LaFayette Department Store. What were your impressions?  What will you take away of the experience?  What, if any are the memorable moments for you?

Exterior shot of Galeries LaFayette, a place that drew many different reactions from students

Today's activity was at the Galeries Lafayette to observe the commodity culture in Paris. When I entered the department store, I felt excited to see the luxuries on the display counter. They looked attractive and glamourous. The lighting in each store focused on the items, and the space was comfortable to walk through. Everything has its own brand name. I also saw an expensive dress which costs 7,0000 Euros. When I saw people lining up to buy those luxuries, I wanted to question the true value and the necessity of those luxuries in our daily life. Comparing Lafayette with other vintage stores, which are small and full of unorganized things, I felt I was free to search what I want in the vintage stores, but in Lafayette, I was constantly aware of other customers' and staff's gazes. I was afraid and anxious to touch the items on the shelves. The experience in Lafayette was very interesting and unique.

Location | Paris: Meet Field School Blogger Kenny Chui

Meet Kenny!

Tell us a little bit about yourself—school, background, major, reasons for taking this trip, anything else interesting you want to share.

Hi, I am Kenny Chui. I have just graduated from the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in May, 2012. There's no better way to finish my degree than to go to Paris, the city with such a rich art history. I have seen the famous paintings through textbooks or online, but never in person. In the first few years in Kwantlen, painting was my favourite medium. However, due to various reasons, I started focusing more on making digital art rather than painting in the past two years. Even though I mainly do digital art, I have always wanted to paint again. There is something about painting that makes it so unique, whether it is the story behind the painting, the scale, the colors, or the applicant of paint. It amazes me how “random” strokes on a canvas can become recognizable objects in a painting. That is one of the main reasons why I wanted to go; I wanted to study the brushstrokes on these famous paintings that I have studied.

Having fun at the Palais De Tokyo inside an art installation. From left to right: Rosaura, Charis, Wei, Andres, Amanda, and of course Kenny.

What has met or exceeded your expectations or surprised you about Paris so far?

There is an elementary school across of our hotel; therefore, there are always kids and teenagers  playing on the road between the two buildings. Every morning, one of the first things I do is to open the window and listen to the kids play. I don't understand French, but it is the sound of joy that makes me enjoy it so much. Back in Canada, even though I live near an elementary school, I don't see or hear little kids play out in public on a daily basis like this. Although the kids and teenagers are quite loud, as I can still hear them with my window closed, the sounds of the ball bouncing, kids running, screaming and laughing make this place so much warmer to live in. Another thing I noticed is that the people here do not rely on mobile devices as much as the people in Vancouver. In Vancouver, everyone is constantly checking their cellphones or tablets, whether they are on the train, at a restaurant, waiting in line, etc. They constantly need to be distracted or entertained. However, I notice that people here in Paris do not rely on their mobile devices as much. I am pleasantly surprised to see that the people here are not constantly staring at a digital screen, or typing on a mobile device.

Children playing outside Field School hotel in Paris, a truly delightful sound.

Give us some insight into your assigned art work from the Muse d’ Orsay. After seeing the work in person, what struck you most about it and/or how did the art work’s form, content, and context shift for you when seeing it?

Georges Seurat, The Circus

When I finally saw Georges Seurat's The Circus in person, my first reaction was that the painting is a lot larger than I imagined. What really surprised me was the position of the painting in the room and how much attention it gets. The painting is located in one of the smaller rooms, but it was definitely the center of attention. It is the first painting the viewer sees when entering the room. The paintings next to it are all figureless and a lot smaller. Without a doubt, the Orsay wanted the Circus to be the main attraction of that room. Circus was done in pointillism, Seurat used oval-like strokes to create this painting. When I entered the room and approached this painting, I did not notice the strokes at first; but as I walk closer to it, it felt as if the painting was breaking apart into little strokes right in front of my eyes. I knew that Seurat painted the blue frame on the painting, but I did not know that he used pointillism on the frame as well. It isn't just one shade of blue as I originally thought, it is actually darker near the center and lighter towards the edge. I was fascinated at the color choice made for the strokes. Seurat did not use black paint at all in the Circus. He used a combination of colors to produce the illusion of the color black. As for the white areas, Seurat actually dotted white strokes on the white canvas, even though they are nearly impossible to notice. Finally, I was surprised that the Orsay put the sketch of Circus in the same room with the actual work as well. I was able to learn more about the Circus from studying the sketch. Seurat wanted to paint the blue frame since the beginning. I was able to tell what was important to Seurat, his sketch focuses more on the foreground. He only placed minimal amount of the audience in the background just to figure out the composition; otherwise, he left the background quite empty. The only thing I question about this work is the extra golden frame that was used. I felt that the extra frame is not necessary. Seurat already added the blue frame on Circus, which is probably a commentary on the idea of painting already, an extra frame contradicts it in my opinion.

           

Today’s activity was at the Galeries Lafayette. What were your impressions? What will you take away of the experience?  What, if any are the memorable moments for you?

Galeries Lafayette is one of the oldest department stores of Paris and the students were asked to think about how the French invented the modern day shopping experience.

Today, we went to the Galeries Lafayette. It is a seven stories tall department store and each floor is dedicated to one or two specific category. All the different brands are located on the same floor, if I want a specific kind of item, I don't need to walk in and out of different shops to find it. Also, there are restaurants, cafes and salon inside the building. The luxury of a department store is that you can do and get everything you want yet you do not need to step out of it. The first few floors were all selling female products, such as perfumes, bags, and other female clothes. The Galeries Lafayette is definitely targeting female shoppers. One of the first things I noticed about the shoppers was that there are a lot more tourists in Galeries Lafayette. Interestingly, the shoppers here do a lot more “eyeing” and less touching. They walk around the items and just look at them, they do not really interact with the items as much as I thought. It seems to me that people are supposed to behave a certain way inside the department store. The department store is very well organized. The use of vibrant colors and well lit products attracts attention immediately. Also with the large-scale advertisements on the walls and columns, everything is so glamourous. However, I did not really enjoy my time there at Galeries Lafayette. One of the reasons is that most of the products are made for females. The other reason for that is because I grew up in Hong Kong, where department stores are popular there too. When I was in Galeries Lafayette, I felt like I have been in it many times before. It just did not excite me as much as the little vintage or second hand shops that we went to afterwards. My classmates and I were digging through stuff looking for little treasures that did not necessarily have to be a specific brand. We were a lot happier with our findings at the little shops than at the department store.

Students enjoyed shopping the many vintage shops dotting the city far more than the large department stores.