Miss Gauguin 

Curator: Editor: This painting is called "Miss Gauguin" by Charles Blackman. I'm drawn to its dreamy, almost melancholic mood and the interesting use of colour contrasts. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: I’m immediately struck by Blackman's choices of material. Acrylic, of course, came into widespread use only after World War II, transforming how artists approached color and layering. What do you make of his application of it here? Does it strike you as particularly...labored? Editor: I see what you mean. It feels like he's using the acrylic almost like watercolour, with those thin washes of blue, but then there’s this textured red fabric, making it almost clash with the dreamy background. I guess this texture would not be attainable with watercolors alone. What do you think Blackman is trying to say with the title referencing Gauguin? Curator: Gauguin’s legacy is fraught, isn't it? He famously exoticized and commodified Polynesian culture. Considering this, how does Blackman's title and visual language, particularly the bold color palette and abstracted form, potentially engage with, or critique, Gauguin’s own artistic production and its impact? Editor: I suppose the very direct title is meant to make us question the legacy. This vibrant "Miss Gauguin" figure almost seems trapped, or maybe camouflaged by this abstracted landscape... Was this meant to highlight the exploitation of women through colonial painting and labor? Curator: It certainly could. I see it as him prompting a reconsideration. His painting isn't simply reproducing an exotic scene; it is using materials and visual strategies to engage us, the viewers, in the discussion and its cultural echoes. So, it looks like the tools are important, don't you agree? Editor: Definitely! I hadn't considered the material and title in such direct conversation with Gauguin’s practice before. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! Thinking about the context changes everything.