I love Paris. It’s my favourite place on earth. But as a Paris lover and a citizen of the world, 2015 was a rough year. I’ve spent the weeks since the attacks feeling helpless, and watching some of my friends, family and fellow citizens turn small minded and nasty out of fear.
The night of the December attacks I was preparing for an art show, flipping between news updates and my artwork. It occurred to me afterwards that the only time I felt truly calm was when I was immersing myself in creating, and reliving the good memories I made in my visits over the past two years.
So I’ve decided to take some action in 2016. I’m dedicating an art project to the city I love and the world I want to see: I’m going to try to make and post one work per day featuring some of the thousands of photos I’ve taken during my wanderings around Paris. I will donate a portion of my proceeds from any pieces sold to charity, split between UNESCO and the UN High Commission on Refugees – these organisations span continents, and are contributing to both the past and the future of Paris and the world.
My artworks are toner photo prints, handcrafted on 8×8″ wood blocks, with a beeswax and olive oil finish. To differentiate them from my regular photo blocks, I am adding a metal leaf border and a cast-metal fleur de lys clavos at the corner of each piece, which will come with a signed certificate of authenticity indicating that it is a unique print created for the “City of Delight” project. I have set the price of each piece at $75 to reflect Paris’ famous “75” postcode. 20% of my profits will be donated to the charities mentioned above at the end of 2016.
I invite you to join me on my artistic journey through Paris; let’s spend a year together in the City of Delight!
Erin @ Dust On My Boots
