Eve after 1895

Curator: This is Paul Gauguin's woodcut, "Eve," created after 1895. Look at the raw textures! Editor: Well, hello there, moodiness! I feel instantly drawn into this dreamlike, somewhat troubled world. It’s got this almost primal feel about it, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed! Gauguin embraced the crude simplicity of woodcut, reveling in its capacity to express the primitive. The stark black and white—a departure from his vibrant paintings—enhances the weighty symbolism. I'm very fond of his emphasis on labor, how you can see the physicality involved, as well as how printmaking as a craft can be elevated as well as other artforms. Editor: You can really see it in the jagged lines and unrefined forms. This is the opposite of delicate! It's powerful! Even kind of intimidating. He seems to be saying something here about not just the innocence of Eve, but perhaps also the raw, messy reality of existence. Curator: Gauguin's time in Tahiti certainly influenced his view of humanity and spirituality. This Eve isn't just a biblical figure. She’s imbued with a Polynesian essence, perhaps symbolizing a return to an untainted state of being before civilization's corruption. Editor: Hmmm, the labor involved in the process really makes me see beyond any symbolic intent... Do you see her hand on her face? Like a primal self-discovery in making? This idea that the fruit she holds doesn't just stand in place as something tempting. Maybe the experience itself can act as temptation... Curator: What strikes me is how tactile the print feels. He allows us to confront the human form directly, no frills, a certain sense of immediacy, really. And I wonder about all these copies—who owns them? Who looks at Eve this way? How does ownership and class factor into consumption? Editor: Indeed! She stands stripped bare, both physically and emotionally! I'd love to learn more about how the printmaking process was employed at that period in time... Curator: All the layers really get me going! Editor: Yes. It's been so fascinating to unpack the depths of this small yet mighty woodcut today.