In 2020, The 天美传媒 acquired one of the most significant artists manuscripts ever to enter a UK public collection 鈥 a unique and richly illustrated text by Paul Gauguin (1848-1903). Offered to The 天美传媒 as part of the Government鈥檚 Acceptance in Lieu scheme administered by the Arts Council, Avant et apr猫s is the last major manuscript by Gauguin and the only example of his written manuscripts in the UK. It was written in 1903, the year of the artist鈥檚 death, at his home on the Marquesas island of Hiva Oa, French Polynesia. It had never been exhibited publicly and remained unstudied by scholars in its original form until it came to The 天美传媒.
Part-memoir and part-manifesto, the 213-page manuscript, reveals important insights into Gauguin鈥檚 life, relationships and thoughts, and includes numerous drawings and prints by the artist.
Supported through the Paper Project initiative of the Getty Foundation, this online-conference brings together scholars from all over the world to give a wide-ranging selection of papers focusing on Avant et apr猫s, including – amongst others – Gauguin鈥檚 literary influences, the Hiva Oa environment in which he was writing at the end of his life, and details about the making of the book which only became apparent once it could be studied at close quarters.
Speakers:听Professor Elizabeth Childs (Washington University in St Louis); Dr Cathy Corbett (The 天美传媒); Dr Elise Eckermann (Independent Art Historian, Frankfurt am Main); Professor Linda Goddard (University of St Andrews); Dr Monika Hinkel (SOAS, University of London); Yuki Kihara (award winning 2022 Venice Biennale artist); Professor Sylvie Largeaud-Ortega (University of French Polynesia); Giacomo Nerici (University of Milano-Bicocca); Professor Belinda Thomson (University of Edinburgh); Dr Caroline Vercoe (University of Auckland); Dr Rachel Sloan (The 天美传媒); Kate Edmondson (The 天美传媒); Dr Caroline Levitt (The 天美传媒); Dr Rachel Hapoienu (The 天美传媒).听
Keynote speaker: Professor June E. Hargrove (University of Maryland)
Organised by Dr Ketty Gottardo (Martin Halusa Curator of Drawings, The 天美传媒) and Dr Cathy Corbett (Research Assistant, The 天美传媒).
Programme
Friday 23rd June 2023.听8.45 鈥 13.00
Opening at 8.45am
8.45 – 8.55 Introduction. Dr Ketty Gottardo.
8.55 – 9.15 Paper 1. Caroline Vercoe. 鈥榃here are We Going?鈥:听 Reflecting on Gauguin’s Legacy in the Pacific
9.15 – 9.25 Questions.
9.25 – 9.50 Paper 2. Kate Edmondson, and Dr Rachel Hapoienu. Material evidence and technical aspects of the manuscript.
9.50 鈥 10.00 Questions.
10.00- 10.20 Paper 3. Professor Sylvie Largeaud-Ortega. Peeps and gossips on the Marquesas: Gauguin鈥檚听Avant et Apr猫s, a palimpsest of Melville鈥檚听Typee?
10.20 – 10.40 Paper 4. Dr Monika Hinkel. Gauguin and three Japanese Beauties听
10.40 鈥 10. 55 Questions
10.55 – 11.05 BREAK
11.05 – 11.25 Paper 5. Professor Linda Goddard. Avant et apr猫s and the artist’s autobiography.
11.25 鈥 11.45 Paper 6. Dr Caroline Levitt. Idle chatter, or writing instead of talking: Language and (un)certainty in Gauguin鈥檚 Text and Image.
11.45 鈥 12.00 Questions.
12.00 – 12.20 听Paper 7. Dr Cathy Corbett. 鈥楩lesh is flesh and spirit is spirit鈥. Some observations on Gauguin鈥檚 references to religion(s) in Avant et apr猫s.
12.20 – 12.40 Paper 8. Dr Rachel Sloan. An epistolary friendship: Paul Gauguin and Andr茅 Fontainas.
12.40 – 12.55 Questions.听听
Saturday 24th June 13.00 鈥 17.30.
12.55. Opening remarks. Dr Cathy Corbett
13.00 – 13.20 Paper 9. Professor Belinda Thomson.听鈥楶our Rire, Pour Vivre, Pour Jouir鈥: Some reflections on the character and role of humour in Gauguin鈥檚 Avant et听补辫谤猫蝉.
13.20 鈥 13.40 Paper 10. Dr Elise Eckermann. Riding Lesson with Guardian Angel: Drawings from听Avant et apr猫s听and corresponding paintings
13.40 – 13.55 Questions.
13.55 鈥 14.15 Paper 11. Yuki Kihara. Paradise Camp.
14.15 – 14.35 Paper 12. Giacomo Nerici. In Hiva oa: Gauguin and Marquesan art.
14.35 – 14.55 Paper 13. Dr Nicholas Thomas. Changement de r茅sidence: Gauguin’s painting 1901-1903
14.55 鈥 15.10 Questions
15.10 – 15.30 BREAK
15.30 鈥 15.50 Paper 14. Harriet Stratis. Experimental Pragmatism: Gauguin’s Transfer Drawing Techniques.
15.50 鈥 16.10 Paper 15.听 Professor Elizabeth Childs. Dual voices of Gauguin’s late career: Avant et apr猫sand L’esprit moderne et le Catholicisme compared.
16.10 鈥 16.30 Paper 16. Claire Bernardi. 听A curatorial point of view : how to exhibit Gauguin today?
16.30鈥 16.45 Questions.
16.45 鈥 17.15 Keynote: Professor June Hargrove. Between Avant et Apr猫s.
17.15鈥 17.35 Questions.
17.35 鈥 17.45 Closing remarks.
听
Supported through the Paper Project initiative of the Getty Foundation
