Gauguin – who became a professional artist at the age of thirty five and commenced as an Impressionist – is positioned in the art history as the most prominent artist during the post-impressionism era. He is, however, recorded as the last artist giving closure to the Impressionism period with new painting techniques in symbolism and synthetism. At the end of the century, he left behind the industrial civilization that whirled up the western society and moved to an innocent land of Tahiti Island to live a primitive life and expressed origins of life and being on his canvas. Thus, his works have greatly influenced to open 20th century art history. In other words, Gauguin left a significant legacy in beginning and growth of Modern art since 20th century art including Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, and Abstractionism originated in Gauguin.
This exhibition is the first Gauguin retrospective in Korea focusing on his artistic traces and meanings of major works from the two artistically distinctive periods – Brittany period and Polynesian (Tahiti) period. The essence of his art is connoted in a few major works of which three masterpieces will be exhibited here in Seoul; it is very meaningful because those three masterpieces have never been exhibited together.
Besides, Seoul Museum of Art and The Hankook Ilbo try to reinterpret with Gauguin’s works with contemporary art. The exhibition displays with major art works of Gauguin with 21th century art works emphasis on diachronic aesthetics. Visual Interruption of contemporary art will provide opportunity to interpret Gauguin’s Paradise in various ways.
