Art

Arts and crafts

The manual dexterity of the crafts people is prodigious and is to be observed in the many exhibitions throughout the islands all year long. The art of the weavers produces marvellous hats, purses, bags, and mats. The Austral women are past-masters of this discipline of working in the plant fibres of pandanus, coconut and the “aeho” reed. The sumptuous tifaifai, hand sewn bedcovers with plant and cultural themes, reflect the women’s keen observation and love for nature. Their relish for this typical decoration of Polynesian houses, proof of their deep creativity, has lead to the organizing of an annual tifaifai exhibition, a real festival of shapes and colours.

Artistic expression can also be seen in woodcarving, the prerogative of men. For this they carve, as the mood inspires them, ancestral graphic and symbolic designs in precious woods such as “tou”, a local variety of purple wood, and “miro” or rosewood. Marquesans excel in this area and produce superb pieces, spears, war clubs and “umete” or fruit bowls, which can be used as a large dish. They also employ volcanic stone, coral and even bone to fashion hundreds of decorative and useful items such as “penu”, food pounders. And lastly, the re-development of the mother of pearl industry has made available the subtle iridescence of these polished shells. The fascinating changing colours have been incorporated as a choice material to embellish dance costumes and in the making of shimmering jewellery.

Paul Gaugin

Paul Gauguin was the only son of Clovis Gauguin, who was a radical republican journalist. In 1849 his father’s political activities forced the family to go into exile. The family headed to Peru, but Clovis Gauguin died en route. The rest of the family stayed in Lima for four years, a period that had a great impact on Paul.

At the age of 17 he joined the French merchant navy, travelling around the world for six years. After the death of his mother in 1867, Gauguin settled down with his wealthy guardian, Gustave Arosa, who had a large art collection, including works by Delacroix. This period in time shaped Gauguin's interest in the Arts. He started collecting Impressionist paintings, and became himself an amateur painter.

His transformation from a stockbroker to a full-time painter and artist came after the financial crash of 1882. With the help of Camille Pissaro he became part of the Impressionist movement. His use of broken rhythmical brushwork, and his interest in texture and colour, clearly relates to the work of the Impressionists.

In 1887, Gouguin decide to leave France and set sail to Panama together with a painter friend, Charles Laval. To earn a living he worked as a labourer for the Panama Canal Company, but was laid off after two weeks. He soon left Panama to Martinique, where he gained a lot of experience in his development as an artist.

In February 1888 he returned to Brittany, where, through the support of Theo van Gogh, he aquired a new sense of confidence in his work. His experience in Martinique broadened his vision and enabled him to develop original interpretations of Brittany scenes.

His break with the Impressionist movement came when he started his painting ‘Vision after the Sermon’, where he was more concerned with the inner meaning of the subjects painted. This painting also marked the start of a new style in painting that became kown as Symbolism.

Gauguin’s stay with Van Gogh was a traumatic but also fruitfull experience for both artists. The two artists learned a great deal from each other, but they were often at odds, culminating in Van Gogh cutting his own ear.

In 1889 Gauguin met Daniel de Montfried, who was to play a significant role in the his career. Although this period had been highly productive for Gauguin, he was deeply depressed and in 1891 he left to Tahiti. He briefly stayed in the capital, Papeete, and then relocated to a remote part of the island. His first stay in Tahiti resulted in a vast artistic activity and a different style. He took every opportunity to study Tahitian old culture and tried to resurrect it in his paintings.

Gauguin died at the age of 54 leaving a vast treasure of ‘primitive’ art which inspired a large number of artists.