i’m as excited as a schoolgirl going to see beyoncé. on saturday we will drive the three hours up to rodez, in the aveyron, where painter pierre soulages was born, and where he recently constructed a museum for his work. françois hollande, the french president, has called soulages the greatest living artist. he is known for his black on black painting, and his theory of “outrenoir” which means “beyond black,” and which focuses not on the blackness of black, but on the light that reflects off of black surfaces and makes them luminous. sigh. he’s ninety years old and has been married to the same woman for 70 years. sigh. he’s independently wealthy and gets up every morning still wanting to paint. sigh. i think i’m in love. if i see him, can i scream?

pigeon feathers

autiganc, france