Tate Modern’s Gauguin exhibition would be worth going to if you only visited one of the rooms, the one called ‘Making the Familiar Strange’. It provides a contrast with most of the rest of Gauguin’s oeuvre which is more concerned with ‘Making the Strange even Stranger’ (in Brittany and then, more famously, Tahiti).
The picture above, The Ham, is from this room. It’s even more absorbing in the flesh (which is very much the right metaphor as its fleshiness is almost tangible). The unlikely colour combination hums with energy, a slightly disorienting but pleasant assault on the visual sense.
The use of the definite article in the painting’s title is very appropriate: the ham seems to have the quality of ur-ham, it manifests the essential ham-ness of ham, it is ham as platonic form. In fact, I can honestly say, I’ll never see a ham in the same way again. This is the touchham against which all other hams will now be judged.
The painting below, The Little One is Dreaming, Study, also from the same room, is less extraordinary but exhibits a sensitivity and tenderness we don’t always associate with Gauguin. It’s delightfully executed – the child’s legs and nightshirt, the guardian puppet, the spectral birds on the wallpaper – and can absorb a lot of looking. It captures how even domestic life can have its eeriness.
I’m not sure there’s much more to be said of the Tahitian paintings. They’re obviously worth seeing; the colours are fantastic for a start. But we now know that a lot of the exoticism was hammed up (ahem) for effect (for instance, he had to find his own pagan idols to populate his pictures as these were no longer in use by the converted population). And the figures often seem quite inert, little more than rote exercises in life-drawing. Their inscrutable flatness is justified as an aspect of the primitive – but when they seem so lifeless, I’m not so sure.
It’s difficult to imagine the development of art in the twentieth century without Gauguin; his influence over the influential – Picasso and Matisse, to name just two – is obvious. But, nevertheless, whilst grateful for the Tahiti works, I was left wondering what we would have witnessed had he stayed at home rather more and painted whatever he happened to see in front of him. It really might have revealed an exotic world, unexpected, distinctive and authentic.
Definitely three extreme styles of painting. I’m afraid that to my eye, the only study that I am particularly drawn to is ” The Little One Is Dreaming”, which is very calming.
‘The Ham’ is quite good as a still life study, although not something I would give up wall space for and the Tahitian Paintings, do nothing for me at all. Even the bright colours can’t make them look attractive or realistic, in the least.
A welocome diversion for a Monday morning though, thank you
I’m not convinced. The mattress on the bed looks like it’s about to tip the boy on to the floor, and the ellipse formed by the glass in the ham picture doesn’t match that of the table or the plate. Of course, in the flesh in might all look different.
The use of the definite article in the painting’s title is very appropriate: the ham seems to have the quality of ur-ham, it manifests the essential ham-ness of ham, it is ham as platonic form. In fact, I can honestly say, I’ll never see a ham in the same way again. This is the touchham against which all other hams will now be judged.
Its only my opinion though but, Bacon’s meat looks much more edible, when it comes to Bacon versus ham, no contest.
Can’t get over the revelation that he took unto himself a mistress, just out of nappies.
Fascinating review, as ever. The lexicon of art history is very much enriched by ‘touchham’ – although the whole concept invites a sort of parlour-game wherein one has to work out what the ultimate visual representation any particular thing actually is. Needless to say, I am now more keen than ever to see this ham, and indeed the rest of these pictures, for myself.
I like all three pictures – especially seeing as they are all quite different, yet done by the same person
I have also never been very convinced by the Tahitian paintings, but on the strength of your review here I’m very much inclined to drop in on this exhibition when I’m in London next month.
Ham seems to be flavour of the month, Gaw. More happens in Tahiti though. Talking of authentic, how about a bit of Spam?