I wasn’t planning to see a show, but on my way to the only salon in Paris that sells Aveda products, I saw a metro advert for the Musee Maillol’s show China Gold, which tuns through October 13. And since it was so close to where I was already going, on Rue Bellechasse, I took the short walk there after my Aveda spree. And I wasn’t disappointed, or let down, for my effort. The show was beautifully curated, the museum is absolutely beautiful and also holds, in their permanent collection, treasured works by Picasso, Gauguin, Ingres and, of course, Maillol.

Unfortunately, I don’t read French, or I would know more about the show, the works and the artists. But here are two works from the show. The first by Tang Zhigang and the second by Cui Xuiwen.

This past weekend, I made plans to visit the Chateau de Chamarande on Sunday. Primarily to see the free summer show of Trisha Brown Early Works – part of the Festival Paris Quartier d’ete – but also because there is a gallery inside the castle and sculpture park on the land surrounding. The park is about 30-40 minutes south of Paris and a short 5 minute walk from the train station Chamarande (on the line RER C).

What can I say about the first work, pictured below? There was a clothesline of hanging clothes, and two male dancers eased into and out of the shorts and t-shirts and hung there for a bit before gracefully crawling out and into another pair. You never really know someone till you sit a while in their shorts? Or hanging out by a thread? Or I’m just here by the seat of your pants? All of these unrefined thoughts were tumbling around inside my head, like a freshly mined garnet in a rock tumbler, just hoping to come out shining. But they all ended up still a little rocky around the edges. C’est la vie.