Père Paillard 1902

This is Paul Gauguin’s Père Paillard, a wooden sculpture. Gauguin was always trying out new materials, and he’s used the wood’s natural grain to give the sculpture a kind of rough, honest feel. The texture is so alive, isn't it? See how Gauguin hasn't smoothed everything out? He's left the marks of his tools, so you can almost see him working, wrestling with the wood. The color is warm, like old leather, and that simple surface just sucks you in. Look at the way the light catches those little imperfections, almost like it’s breathing. The hands clasped to the chest, for example, it's pretty roughly hewn. He has clearly wanted to retain that raw quality, not to hide his process. I love the way Gauguin plays with expectations here. It reminds me a little of some of the folk art I’ve seen, that same directness and simplicity. It's like he's saying, "Here it is, take it or leave it." That's the kind of art that sticks with you. It's more about the experience than the explanation.