Vase in the Form of a Tropical Plant with Bird and Deity 1887 - 1888

Editor: Here we have Paul Gauguin's "Vase in the Form of a Tropical Plant with Bird and Deity" created between 1887 and 1888. It's crafted from wood. It feels somewhat totemic to me, primal even. What draws your eye, initially? Curator: The crude carving, absolutely. It screams of manual labor. Look at the material itself, the wood, clearly not precious. Gauguin is subverting the traditional art hierarchy right here. He’s elevating a craft material into high art. Editor: I hadn't considered that angle. So you're saying the deliberate choice of materials is challenging artistic norms? Curator: Precisely. Consider the colonial context. Gauguin was consciously rejecting European industrialism. He’s romanticizing artisanal practices, looking at the making instead of refining. It's more than just representation. This is about celebrating a method of production. Editor: So, rather than seeing it just as a sculpture, we should think about the process of carving and how that relates to the world around Gauguin? Curator: Yes. Think about the tools used, the sheer labor. He’s saying something about value, labor, and consumption. Are those decorative colors native or foreign? Where did they source those pigments? Editor: I see, it opens a window to that moment, to the cultural exchange. I definitely have a deeper appreciation now, considering the active choices Gauguin made in his process and material. Curator: Exactly. The value isn't solely in the finished product, it’s in unpacking the circumstances and labor behind it.