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| Ken Hatch and Mike Kunath |
With brilliant, horizontal bands of color, and mysterious Polynesian influences, I was enthralled seeing
Gauguin's art last night.
Ken and I went to see the
"Gauguin & Polynesia" exhibit at the
Seattle Art Museum this evening as guests of
Mike Kunath. He had arranged for
Seattle Art Museum volunteer docent,
Elizabeth Bangasser Hall to curate a private tour for his guests and it was fascinating to hear some of her stories about
Gauguin's history.
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| Kate Harrison and Matt Walters |
My favorite story was the one she told us at the end of the tour about
Gauguin's testy relationship with the local Catholic priest living in Atuona, the same small French Polynesia Marquesas Islands village as
Gauguin. The Church was unhappy with
Gauguin because they viewed his art of half-naked Polynesian women as immodest, scandalous and inappropriate in a community that had already been "civilized" by missionaires. The native women had been converted to wear the modest, high-necked and long-sleeved Mother Hubbard-style dresses of Europe.
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| Dennis & Jennifer Sponer and children |
The priest was not a fan of
Gauguin and
Gauguin was not a fan of the priest or the Church.
Gauguin carved a naked Polynesian-style wood tiki (male) in the likeness of this local priest complete with devil's horns to put on one side of
Gauguin's entrance gate (this actual tiki is part of the exhibit) and another wood hini (female) in the likeness of the priest's housekeeper and mistress,
Teresa, to put on the other side of his entrance gate. They were visible to all passersby including the school children who walked by his gate each day. He carved
Teresa's name into the front of the hini so it was quite clear to all that he was commenting on the immoral and ill-kept secret relationship of the priest and his housekeeper.
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| SAM View of the Grand Lobby |
The art displayed was vibrant, compelling, and thought-provoking. What was
Gauguin trying to communicate? The exhibit is here through the end of April and I can't wait to go back and see it again!
Cathi -- thanks for the shout-out for SAM and for me. You were a fun and engaging group to show around the exhibit. Do come back! --Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteYou are most deserving of the compliments, Elizabeth! It really was a fasinating exhibit and you made it come alive.
ReplyDelete