December 25, 2012
Paris in the 1920s with Kiki de Montparnasse
Mark Thompson READ TIME: 3 MIN.
Roam the streets the Paris, overhear the plein-air conversations of the 20th century's most respected writers and intellectuals, and watch new artistic movements emerge from the bohemian Left Bank, with the woman who knew it all: Kiki de Montparnasse.
"We hang out with a crowd called Dadaists and some called Surrealists-for my part, I don't see much difference between them! Our nights are spent in talking, which doesn't bore me very much, even if I don't know what it's about," said Montparnasse.
Presenting a detailed history of one of the most crucial times in our cultural, political, philosophical, and artistic histories, Paris in the 1920s with Kiki de Montparnasse (Assouline, 2012) delves into the lives of those who sought to change our minds and perspective from the terrasses of La Coupole, La Rotonde, and Le D�me.
An opulent compilation of images and personal anecdotes, Paris in the 1920s with Kiki de Montparnasse by Xavier Girard (and published by Assouline in a luxury slipcase volume) is a visual timeline of an era experienced by a woman whose passion for living was unrivaled.
From humble origins, Kiki de Montparnasse became the muse of Man Ray, Kisling, Foujita, Calder, and other important artists living in Paris in the Roaring Twenties. Many revolutionary writers, artists, and personalities flourished on the bohemian Left Bank, each one inventing their own iconic style, and Kiki, the Queen of Montparnasse, was the thread connecting them.
Not only an artist's model, Kiki was also a cabaret performer, actress, and an artist in her own right with two successful exhibitions. Every image tells a fascinating story in this lavishly illustrated, oversize luxury slipcase volume, revealing the artistic, social, and historical events that created and surrounded the incredible artistic flowering of the now mythical Montparnasse neighborhood.
Writer Xavier Girard is an art historian and critic, essayist, and professor of art history. A Chevalier of Arts and Letters, he has also directed and curated numerous artistic events. His previously published books with Assouline include The Mediterranean: From Homer to Picasso (2001); French Riviera (2002); and Bauhaus (2003).
Girard also recently published L'Oursin and Trois hommes dans un jardin with Andr� Dimanche. Since 2008 he has also dedicated himself to sculpture and photography.
Paris in the 1920s with Kiki de Montparnasse is available for purchase at ASSOULINE boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com
DETAILS:
Paris in the 1920s with Kiki de Montparnasse
By Xavier Girard
11 x 14 in - 28 x 35 cm
300 pages | 175 illustrations | hardcover in a luxury slipcase
ISBN: 9781614280576
$195 - �145 - �120
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A long-term New Yorker and a member of New York Travel Writers Association, Mark Thompson has also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The author of the novels WOLFCHILD and MY HAWAIIAN PENTHOUSE, he has a PhD in American Studies and is the recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center. His work has appeared in numerous publications.
