In Gauguin and Polynesia anthropologist Nicholas Thomas offers a fresh view on the artist, not from the perspective of European art history, but from the contemporary vantage point of the region – Oceania – which he so famously moved to. Here Gaugin invented enigmatic and symbolic images, but he also depicted Polynesia’s colonial modernity, acknowledging the life of the time and the dignity and power of some of the Islanders he encountered. Gauguin and Polynesia neither celebrates nor condemns an extraordinary painter, who at times denounced and at other times affirmed and exploited the position the French empire offered its white citizens.
Illustrated talk by the author.
‘Refreshingly original… an impressive and deeply engaging dive into aspects of Gauguin’s oeuvre that have largely evaded discussions and analysis.’ – Maia Nuku
Arts Sponsor: 
Hexham Book Festival ticket holders enjoy 10% off in the The Factory Kitchen, Mon-Fri throughout April.
Booking Information
