It is Gauguin purveyor of primitivist fantasies, emblem of French colonialism in the Pacific, and paedophilic, syphilitic sex tourist who took child brides as young as 13 who looms large in the public consciousness.
The show represents an incredible effort and a remarkable result. For almost any other artist, the NGA would be taking an unqualified victory lap.
Some of this messaging directly platforms Pacific artists a podcast accompanying the exhibition opens with the question What immediately comes to mind when I say Paul Gauguin?
Over four episodes, the podcast positions Gauguin as a productive if deeply fraught challenge to reckon with historical legacies rather than a figure of blind cancellation.
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