(All photos courtesy of Penguin Books)
Rarely do New Yorkers discover a book that accurately captures the charisma (and nuisances) of the city they love and love to complain about. Enter Vahram Muratyan with his blog-turned-book, Paris Versus New York, that's got both New Yorkers and Parisians (arguably the two toughest characters globally) adoring it and finally on the same side. The book illustrates the juxtapositions of the seemingly different but parallel lifestyle of the classy New Yorker and "le chic Parisien." Think Amelie v. Carrie; baguette vs. bagel; the films of Jean-Luc Godard v. Woody Allen.
Here at Living, we are always trying to find an excuse to talk about Paris. Today, we are lucky to present to you a Q&A just as charming as blogger, graphic designer, and now author Vahram Muratyan as he shares with us his past, what's next , and why his heart will always be split between his two loves.
1 Amélie vs. Carrie
2 The baguette vs. the bagel
3 Quasimodo de Notre Dame vs. King Kong of the Empire State Building
4 Charles de Gaulle Airport vs. John F. Kennedy Airport
5 Vieille Dame vs. Forever Young
6 The croque-monsieur vs. the hot dog
7 The parisienne vs. Mad Men
8 La pierre de taille vs. the brick
9 Jean-Luc Godard vs. Woody Allen
Your official occupation: To be creative and curious enough.
A brief background of Paris Versus New York? First, it was just drawings and words in my sketchbook, then a visual blog and a book to think about. There were then exhibits at Colette in Paris and The Standard in New York, and finally the almost simultaneous launch of the book in the two cities and their respective countries.
Paris in three words? Sophisticated. People. Staring.
New York in three words? Playful. Endless. Experience.
Paris has the best conversations.
New York has the best enthusiasm.
Somewhere that's classic New York? Burger joint Shake Shack-- packed, great location, fun.
Not-so-classic New York? Imports store Top Hat-- small, low-key, nice.
Somewhere that's classic Paris? Boutique store Merci-- huge, refined, fancy.
Not-so-classic Paris? Silencio Club-- conceptual, complete, private.
Tell us about your workspace. I'm always writing a lot of small notes on paper or in my phone. I'm always on the move, like drawing ideas at a cafe or in the sub. My [actual] workspace comes in really only at the very end of the process so there is nothing really interesting there!
What are of your greatest sources of inspiration? Traveling and the notion of being on the move-- this is how I perceive new things out of my past experience. When I stand still-- in a concert, at the movies, or reading a great book-- I'm open to see how the story is being told, how the art is coming to me through images, sounds, or sensations.
"Paris Versus New York" revels in its use of color. What is your favorite color? A bright and powerful orange.
What's the first art project you remember doing as a child? Drawing maps and gigantic cities of glass.
What's your most treasured possession? I'm obsessed with shoes lately. In Paris, Rodolphe Menudier and Pierre Hardy especially. The sneakers at Flight Club [in New York] are also highly appreciate.
If you weren't a designer what you would most likely be doing? I always wanted to tell stories, no matter how. For this project it was as a graphic designer and illustrator. For the next one, who knows. It could be as a filmmaker or a singer.
What post has gotten the most reaction from readers? In the early posts, the taxis maybe. Lately it's not the face-to-face but the maps of the neighborhoods of Paris on New York/ New York on Paris. Everyone wants to know what would be their parallel-life's 'hood.
Best advice for other designers? Stop talking, just create and share.
It'd be unfair for us to ask you to choose between Paris and NY so we have to know...Woody Allen or JLG? Woody knows how to connect with my brain.
