Hard to ignore the influence French Polynesia had on some European artists, notably Paul Gaugin, who fell in love with the culture and beauty of the islands. His body of work there is extensive, and some would argue a definitive signature colored by the experience. Above I have created a commemorative stamp collaging several of his works into a gathering at his island memorial. Paul Gaugin: 1848- 1903
I cant be certain why I pursued this project, but I have the clues. As a child, in a no TV household, I found myself getting lost in my ever growing stamp collection. The stamps from the South Pacific stoked my imagination the most. So beautiful, so serene, so romantic. Also, so brutal – internalizing the many stories my father shared from his two years fighting Japanese occupiers during WWII.
Later in life I did fall in love and married a woman removed from the region by a generation. We did have two wonderful children, with milky white almond skin and jet black hair. Lived in a home with two towering palm trees and the view to forever.
After that marriage dissolved, even further in life, I met and fell in love with a French woman who had a not so happy existence on the French governed Pacific island of Vanuatu. She had found herself there via a souring marriage, and when that eventually became a pool of ashes – I entered her life.
I really cant explain myself, why I upped and left after so much mutual contentment. It seemed to have been an abrupt call to a greater destiny, a gorgeous sunrise of smoke and mirrors that beckoned. Twenty years later, after having plenty of time to think about it, I amassed the above agonizing ‘Letter To Julie’ , essentially apologizing for my poor actions and the hurt I brought forth. The forgiveness piece is a 60″x42′ inch collage of French Oceania stamps of a bygone era, interspersed with postcards of dour reflection. But the Love exudes.