Aha oe feii? (What! Are You Jealous?) 1894

Editor: Here we have Paul Gauguin’s “Aha oe feii? (What! Are You Jealous?)”, made in 1894 using watercolor, charcoal, and perhaps some pastel on paper. It's a print, so potentially produced in multiples. There's an intimate feel to this depiction of Tahitian women. What can you tell me about Gauguin's artistic practice here? Curator: Look at the materiality first. Paper, watercolor, charcoal— relatively inexpensive materials. This immediately challenges the high art/low art divide. Gauguin embraced printmaking, a medium often associated with wider accessibility and reproduction. He’s flattening the space, using line to define form, and layering watercolor washes to create depth. Consider the means of production; what does this choice of media tell us about his process? Editor: Well, using readily available and affordable materials suggests a democratization of art-making, or perhaps a commentary on the art market itself? Was he making a statement about luxury? Curator: Precisely! Gauguin was deeply engaged with challenging conventional ideas about artistic value and commodity culture. These weren't just sketches; they were considered artworks in their own right. The labor is evident in the marks, the layering. And that title – “What! Are you Jealous?” – points to a certain possessiveness, a social commentary. Consider also the viewer’s role. Who is meant to feel jealousy, and why? Editor: So, you are suggesting it might not only be an innocent depiction, but something that reveals a tension in the culture of collecting art? Curator: Precisely. We should always examine how the artwork's materiality contributes to our understanding of its message and place in a much larger system. These cheap, easily reproducible materials are crucial to dismantling expectations about fine art and production. Editor: I hadn't considered the materials in relation to his cultural critique. Thanks! Curator: A materialist approach really shifts the focus. We aren't just admiring pretty pictures. We are questioning the very system of artistic creation and consumption.