 |
| "Cafe les Deux Magots" 1996 |
of how it happened and what happened after.
Eastern Wisdom with a Japanese Slant
One summer evening , I ran into Issam Kahn while
walking Ruby on the rue des Abbesses. Painter, poet, occasional actor,
Issam is tall thin, talented and
stunningly handsome with dark skin and flowing white hair. His guru look,
straight from India overwhelms many and probably helps him sell paintings. He
invited me for a glass of wine and I gladly accepted.
I
showed him photos of my recent work;
many from our Abbesses rue Lepic
neighborhood. He asked me if I had ever painted the Café Les Deux
Magots. I told him that I preferred quaint
street corners. The Saint Germain crowd was too blazé for me. Issam in
his twilight wisdom said, “If you’re ever really desperate for money…”
his dark eyes glaring,” paint les Due Maggot. It so famous you’re sure to sell
it.” I didn’t respond.
The following morning I got my gear together and took
the 67 bus down to Boulevard Saint German.
I set up my easel next to the traffic light on the concrete center
island in front of the famous café, and began painting. Les Due Magots and its neighbor Café de Flore are historic sights. Picasso was a regular at
both as were Fitzgerald and Hemmingway. I found both of them over priced
and touristy.
After three hours, I had a good start, but was vexed
by the continuing question, “Doesn’t the traffic bother you?”. I was so
concentrated I had been ignoring the
cars and buses zooming by on both sides.
Then, I felt someone close behind me, not speaking,
just standing there. I finally tuned around. An elderly Japanese man, elegantly dressed, smiled and bowed 30 degrees . I smiled and did
the same and went back to my painting musing that if he had been wearing a camera
I would not have been so gentile. Tourist love taking photos of me while I’m at
work. If I catch them before they click, I tell them “NO.”
The next afternoon, back on location a young Japanese
man approached me. I saw him coming; walking briskly on the crosswalk looking
straight at me with a a smile that almost laughed.
He began straight off. The president of the Café de
Flore in Kyoto saw me painting the day before and would like to commission me
to paint the Café de Flores here for his café over there. I told him I had already painted Café de
Flores and pulled out my little book of photographs.
Mr. Tada, as he introduced himself assured me the
president of the café de Flore in Kyoto
would buy it.
No , he couldn’t come to my studio in Montmartre, he
was too busy leaving for Japan the following evening. We made a rendez-vous at
3 o’clock the following day. I would bring the painting.
The next day at two minutes after three on the
boulevard Saint Germain, at the intersection of rue de Rennes, I had my first
encounter with Japanese business procedure.
Mr. Tada and the president of The Café de Flores in
Kyoto, ( no name) arrived. Small bow from them.
Small bow from me I pulled out the painting of the Café de Flore from a
Fran Prix shopping bag. The president of The Café de Flore in Kyoto muttered
something in Japanese.
Mr. Tada looked at me. “Trop petit.”
The president of the café de Flore in Kyoto examined
the canvas I had started of Les Deux Magots, and spoke in his tongue. Mr.Tada translated. I responded. Yes. I could make one as big. Yes,
bigger. Yes much bigger. How much? I
don’t discuss business in the street. I was biding my time to get advice. He
preferred a different perspective than the one I had made.
I offered to make some sketches from different angles.
I was to meet with Mr Tda the following week. Sur place. Café de Flore. The
deal worked. It led to a bigger deal that Mr Tada brokered also. Three of my
café images were used as a promotion for a big café chain in Japon. 1 00,000 agenda covers!
Issam Kahn moved away from Montmartre before I was
able to thank him for the good fortune, I had from his simple suggestion. Maybe
he did have a special visionary sense. I miss him.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment