Paris street art

street art in Paris (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

A tour of the street art of the 13th arrondissement ... that was on our recommended itinerary. We didn't quite know what to expect, but having been to Paris over a dozen times and seen most of the "usual" tourist sites and many of the less well known attractions as well, we were ready for something  completely new that most visitors will never visit. W Travel France arranged a walking tour for us with an excellent guide who is an expert on street art.

After taking the Metro to the Corvisart metro station, we walked through the small Jardin Brassai, reaching the beginning of our tour at 23 rue Jonas. There we saw two stenciled images of a female figure created by an artist who goes by the nickname Miss Tik; one of those images is pictured to the left. Our guide, Romuald, knew street art as thoroughly as most art historians know Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, or any other formal art genre, and he introduced us to its history, themes, and motifs. By its very nature, street art is impermanent. It is painted on walls and is exposed to the effects of sun, rain, and other natural elements. Moreover, the tradition of urban art allows other artists to incorporate their art into existing pieces.

Definitely counter-cultural, street artists are in a constant battle of wits with the police who technically consider their work to be graffiti. It is, in a sense, graffiti; street artists literally spray and run. But their art is so much more. Taking the idea of a salon des refusées to another level, we witnessed the constantly changing public outdoor exhibition of works by anonymous artists known only by their nicknames.

Miss Tik is perhaps the best known of the street artists who has been active for over 30 years. Her stenciled iconic female images are combined with poetic captions that always involve an element of double entredre. It helps to understand French to get the word play!

You'll encounter the art of other "famous" street artists if you walk through the streets of the 13th. Known only by their nicknames (such as Jef Aerosol and Speedy Graffito), each artist exhibits his or her own distinctive style. You'll get to know the range of artists and their commentary against societal conventions and especially "brand names." Afterwards touring the 13th, we took the Metro to the Belleville station in the 20th arrondissement. Here the art is more graffiti-like — using a more vivid color palette and a more in-your-face social commentary — but there are many arresting images.

Looking for something completely different to explore in Paris? Let the streets of Paris be your museum. A guide is highly recommended, as otherwise you'll never know where to search ... and you'll miss out on expert commentary that helps you appreciate what you're seeing.

copyright  (c)  2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.