The real Paris: Diary N°1 art book

The real Paris: Diary N°1 art book

Please note: this first edition despite being well printed may contain minor printing flaws. This did not prevent art amateurs and artists—both in France and around the world—from loving this art book.

Limited to one copy per order.

Beware, this is not your usual (fake) glamour book about Paris, and this art book may provoke shock and rejection in those who idealize the city! In this first Diary, MESAGI takes art amateurs to the rediscovery of Paris in black and white. The atmosphere of the photographs is often dense, at times palpable. The subjects and points of view are puzzling, sometimes shocking: who could dare to portray the beautiful Paris through public trash? 

The real Paris: Diary N°1 is not a sterile visual description of a famous city. MESAGI’s point of view, subjective reality, and feelings are present throughout the glossy pages of this hardcover book. The sensitive art amateur will notice the melancholy but also the hope that inhabits the photographs born from the interaction between the artist and his beloved city. The lack of human faces could make you languish for one: this is loneliness. 

This is not an easy art book, though and you should think twice before ordering it. The visual style is dark and gloomy, a result of MESAGI’s artistic and emotional desires during the creation of this Diary. It will require your attention and multiple explorations to unveil the meanings, feelings, and stories hidden in the dark ink covering its pages.

Five chapters

In this Diary Numéro 1, you will discover five different chapters. In the first one, 19th Avenue, you will go through a long and large avenue in the 19th district of Paris. Two buildings seem to float in the sky. Burnt public trash is the leftover mark of urban revolts. A bottle of wine abandoned inside a trash can has a story to tell you. A Parisian pigeon looking away portrays the melancholy and loneliness of missing someone.

The second chapter, Along the waterway, follows a canal that runs parallel to the avenue of the previous chapter. Despite the proximity between these two places, you will discover different atmospheres and points of view. A pleasure boat shines above deep black waters. A modern construction reflects the past. The steps of a concrete stair lead to a man lost in his loneliness.

The third chapter, Melancholy and madness in Paris, unfolds as a sentimental composition not tied to any particular places in Paris. An empty public wood bench in an empty park resonates with a lonely woman under her umbrella. Scores of clothes and shoes, scattered on the soil talk about misery and the madness of society. An abandoned baby doll, lay on the curb, fragile and in pain. 

Sacred Heart, the fourth chapter is dedicated to the Butte Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. It is not just about tourism but also about hope, and spiritual contemplation. A man climbs painfully the stairs toward the Sacré-Cœur, Paris awaits a young lady at her feet. A contrast between a painful and a happy life.

It is said that Jim Morrison from The Doors lived at number 17-19 in Beautreillis Street. The fifth chapter, Beautreillis street takes you to walk there. It is a small street so it is a small chapter that was created for Joey, a dear friend of MESAGI from Wales. It is Joey’s recommendation that pushed him to visit Rue Beautreillis with his camera.

Digital photography with artistic integrity

MESAGI does not photoshop or digitally alter his photographs. He thinks this can only damage the integrity, sincerity, and spontaneity of his art. His photographs are created and finalized in the place and in the moment. The photographs in this book were printed the way they were created without tentative improvements with digital alterations. Only those illustrating the chapters were edited but they were just cropped.

Each art book is hand-signed by MESAGI

Each The real Paris: Diary N°1 art book is hand-signed by its creator, MESAGI. Do not be surprised by his handwriting, it is unstable but candid, just like him.