Proposal for the City Halls of Paris - Homage to the Sanitation Workers

INTRODUCTION

In January 2005 the Mairie of the 18eme presented an exposition in it's Grande Hall of the paintings and photos of Douglas Brodoff. Entitled HOMMAGE A LES AGENTS DE LA PROPRETÉ (Homage to the Sanitation Workers), the exposition included over 100 paintings and photos of the work of the streetcleaners of Paris. The exposition attracted hundreds of visitors and was held over for Prolongation for several extra weeks. The exposition attracted not only adults but also children from and classes of the local school system participated in workshops with the Artist and members of the Agents de la Proprete. The exposition also was written about in newspapers and in Web Blogs in numerous countries. By any measure, a great success.

1- EXPOSITION

Douglas Brodoff proposes to bring his exposition in an expanded format to each and every Mairie of Paris.

A tour of the exposition of Paintings and Photos which would climax with an Expo at the Hotel de Ville.

The proposed Expositions in each Mairie would include paintings and photos inspired by the special work being done in the particular arrondisement of that expo.

2- WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN

Part of the Expositions in each Arrondisement would include interaction with the Artist and the Agents of Properte with children from the local schools. While the Artist spoke about his work, the Agents of the Propreté explain to the children the specific tasks that were illustrated in the paintings and the photos.

As part of each exposition the interaction with the schools would expand to include childrens' participation in related art projects and lessons in environmental awareness.

One special section would be devoted to the text and drawings of a story for children about the Balayeurs written and illustrated by Mr. Brodoff.

3- CELEBRATIONS

To coincide with the Expos in each arrondisement, each Mairie would sponsor a special day of celebration for the Agents of the Proprete.

Daytime events would include games and workshops for adults and children which could include:

- Olympic Garbage Games

- Balai Foot Tournement- game of foot played with brooms

- Garbage Toss - Competition to see how far bags of “garbage” can be thrown.

- Fashion Show - costumes made with garbage AND new fashions for balayeurs

- Vide-Grenier – recycling in action

- Art Workshops - teaching Adults and children to make useful items like tables, chairs and lamps from broken things that people throw away. Making Bags and toys from juice and soda cannettes.

- Painting Green Man painting workshops for children

- Sweeping Classes – Agents of Proprete teaching proffesional sweeping methods

Days would end with Pick-Nick Parties.

4- STREETCLEANERS BALL AND GARBAGEMEN CELEBRATION

These smaller celebrations in each Arrondisement would culminate in a Giant Event to be held every April 15th, the birthday of Eugene Poubelle (see note below) – a National day to honour the Agents of Proprete

A day where Citizens participate in sweeping the street, and in a giant clean-up of Paris

And at night a GRAND STREETCLEANERS BALL AND GARBAGEMEN CELEBRATION, Giant Dances in every Quartiers of Paris and in every town.

Note - Poubelle - Appearing in 1884, the term POUBELLE, the French word now for 'garbage can' resulted by the derogatory ridiculing of the proper name of the political leader who instituted the practice of systematic garbage collection. In 1884, under the Third Republic, the Prefect of the Seine, Eugene Poubelle, issued a proclamation that “Henceforth, the household refuse will be collected in the intermediary of a furnished wood container with an interior of tinplate, so that nothing can seep out or escape. These containers will be able to also contain hot ashes without risk of setting on fire”. These containers would be soon called 'poubelle'. It is amusing to see that from the beginning, recycling had been envisaged by Eugene Poubelle. Indeed not content to invent the poubelle, the Prefect had envisaged to store waste in three specific vats. For household waste, for papers/rags and finally, the last for glass, earthenware or oyster shells!

5- ARTIST'S STATEMENT

This is a project that was begun with the intention of celebrating in paint, the fantastic life and work of the Little Green Men of Paris. While everyone in Paris goes about their busy day, this dedicated army of men in green use every means imaginable to clean this beautiful city.

While not adverse to the technical advances of street-cleaning machines, motorcycles equipped with dog poop vacuum cleaners to crane trucks that lift the giant bottle apples. But much of their work is carried out with the simple implement of a broom. It is not to outrageous to suggest that the simple and repetative gestures with the broom give their work a spiritual dimension.

At the very least, these are men (and women) who, regardless of our careless littering, tirelessly and endlessly clean up after us. It is difficult work and certainly at times unpleasant. But it is so well orchestrated that it seems like there is a dance to it.

Parisians are not known for their cleanliness, and if it were not for these green men would live in filth rather than the beautiful streets which we enjoy.

The Green Men Project began with the paintings, but it does not end there. I would like to propose that Paris and even all of France dedicate one day a year as a holiday in honor of the sanitation workers of this city. One day to thank and salute these men for their efforts in making our lives a little bit more liveable and a little bit safer.It is in this spirit that I offer my paintings and photos for your viewing pleasure. That you may grow to appreciate the art as well as the work and the men that inspired them.

- Douglas Brodoff Paris 2009


DOUGLAS BRODOFF –
RECENT EXPOSITIONS

2001 - Galerie Grandmaison - Paris
2005 - Mairie de la 18eme - Paris
2005 - Cafe Fourmi - Paris
2006 - Theatre Mouffetard - Paris
2007 - Ministere de La Crise du Logement - Paris
2008 - Mairie du 2eme (group) - Paris

6- BIOGRAPHY

An American painter inspired by the Sanitation Workers of the town of Paris

Douglas Brodoff has taken part in artistic events of international importance on the French soil. This started in 1994 when he discovered 2 short films of John Cassavetes that had disappeared for 50 years. He provided important articles to the Cahiers Du Cinema, and has worked at the Cannes Film Festival as correspondent for the reviews Moving Pictures and Variety. He was invited to the Festival d' Amiens du Cinema, and contributed unofficially for ten years to its realization. He contributed to research on several books for the Cahiers Du Cinema, in particular on the book devoted to the director Jack Arnold when he once again found lost film copies. He collaborated closely with the director Joe Dante for the retrospective of his works in the Festival of Locarno.

Where does he come from? At 16 years, he completed his first short film, " The Second Sin" Original; awarded with 1st Prize of the National Competition for Cinema Public Television, and the film was shown widely on the national television channels of the USA. At 19 years old, he became a clown in the largest circus in the world, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. He made tours in the USA in a troop of experimental clowns. He entered the world of music while appearing in the bars and cafés of NYC and San Fransisco as composer-songwriter. His recordings made the hit parades of independent and college radio stations. His poems were published in a volume entitled "Spirit Stones".

Having moved to Los Angeles, he worked for a large production company, New World International in the distribution and the maintenance of films. Then he worked on feature-length films as Musical director and as a Location Scout. In particular he worked with the director Irvin Kershner (Empire Strikes Back) on the cult film “American Perfekt”. At the same time he wrote scenarios and a rock opera.

In Paris his article, " The Confessions of a Reluctant Archivist" was published in la revue de la Cinémathèque Française was very well regarded. He also wrote regularly for L’ Humanité, Pariscope, and the magazines of fashion. He has edited and co-produced a book of stories and drawings published in Paris.

Soon after he moved to Paris to paint, he became fascinated by the men who are sweeping streets and collecting trash. It has since become the central theme of his work and thus he finds himself very attached to Paris quite naturally. Solo Expositions in the Town hall of 18th and the Mouffetard Theatre followed, then Group Expositions in the Town hall of the 2nd arrondisement. Articles in the mainstream press and on Internet on many ecologic sites were devoted to him.

Painter, photographer, scenario writer, journalist, writer, artist, actor and clown (graduate of Antioch University, Ohio and Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College), Douglas has a very rich and varied career on the two sides of the Atlantic in the world of writing, of audio-visual and in particular of the cinema, and artistic creation.