So I was listening to the Podcast Politiquement Incorrect with Richard Martineau, and they had a verrry interesting discussion of Paul Gauguin, the celebrated French painter who depicted the idyllic world of Tahiti and other exotic locii.
Turns out he might absolutely have been a total creep, and it wasn’t even that much of a secret. Take a look at this article from the Guardian from way back in 2001. It’s an article that I could only describe as a total hit piece but that it were written by the Guardian. (Don’t get me wrong, they’re a little heavy-handed in all their work, but they still do good journalism).
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/07/arts.highereducation
Apparently this debate is not over, as evidenced by this screenshot of a Google News search for Paul Gauguin. I guess the New York Times decided to revive this issue once again. How fun.
I don’t see what the big deal is. I went to an exhibition of George Bush Jr.’s paintings of wounded Iraq service members, and no one warned me that I was looking at art made by a war criminal depicting the very Americans maimed by his lies, greed, and hubris. No one talked about banning that. Art is made by angels and monsters. It bears witness to the minds of our species, ugly, beautiful, hopeful, sickening.
Ploptart 