Address List; Manuscript Page [recto] 1884 - 1888

Curator: I'm drawn to the density and layered qualities in Paul Gauguin's "Address List; Manuscript Page," made between 1884 and 1888. It has a wonderfully intimate, personal quality. What are your initial impressions? Editor: Overwhelming. The frantic, spidery script layered across the page projects a sense of urgency or perhaps anxiousness. Its raw, unfiltered aesthetic makes it feel very immediate. Curator: Yes, the ink on paper, the materials themselves speak to its functionality—this was clearly a working document, perhaps part of his studio management or social networking in artistic circles. What interests me is how this mundane list intersects with the draft of his "Notes synthétiques" on the right, offering insights into his thoughts on painting and art. It suggests the inseparability of artistic practice from lived experience. Editor: I appreciate your consideration of its purpose. For me, the interest lies in the visual rhythm established by the contrasting weights of the handwritten text. Gauguin balances areas of intense mark-making with calmer open spaces. Semiotically, the shapes and lines act almost as an abstract composition independent from the literal words— a textual dance. Curator: I see it also as an example of pre-digital communication, something tactile and relational. Unlike today's easily copied address book, this held traces of Gauguin's physical presence and social interactions of his time. Editor: You are right. These materials suggest it represents an intersection of his thoughts and daily obligations. What do we learn through its making? What can be drawn through formal relationships and the materials? This page feels less a definitive piece and more like a threshold. Curator: It reminds us that even artists grapple with ordinary chores like listing contacts. It's grounding, knowing that creation, inspiration, and labor go hand in hand. Editor: Indeed, understanding his theories around creation as co-occurring with list making is profound. Both inform and enhance our perspective of Gauguin's larger production.