Tropical Style

When artist Paul Gauguin arrived in Papeete in June 1891, his romantic image of Tahiti as an untouched landscape, a paradise derived in part from Pierre Loti's novel Le Mariage de Loti (1880). What is worth noting is that Gauguin was actually disappointed by the extent to which French colonization had corrupted everyday life in Tahiti. He subsequently attempted to immerse himself in what he believed were the authentic aspects of the culture. By later including Tahitian motifs in paintings and ceramics, he displayed what is referred to in Western art as Primitivism. Typically borrowed from non-Western or prehistoric people perceived to be “primitive", the likes of Gauguin and Henri Rousseau borrowed from subject matter deemed exotic or indeed tropical such as in Rousseau's In a Tropical Forest Combat of a Tiger and a Buffalo (1908–1909).

Despite non-Western art being important to the development of modern art, Primitivism has often been critiqued for reproducing racist stereotypes. Now, it can be argued then that the canon is no longer entirely Western-centric and tropical style art movement has been later depicted by the African artworks of Roger Djiguemde and also Ana Maria Dias who hails from Brazil. Further implementing the importance of this art style despite how exotic its setting.

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Tropical Style

Schistostega B

Schistostega A

Conversations 08

Conversations 07

Souvenir

Jumping into Water

Believe And Act 03

Believe and act 02

Keeping it simple

Bloom 2

That Moment

Somebody to hold 4

Bloom into infinite joy 02

Mirror conversations 04

Mirror Conversations 01

Fear of loss 02

Fear to loss 01

Conversations 06

Conversations00

Autumnal 02

Lotus 01

Arcadia

Never never land

Someone always there

Wall art tapestry

Better off alone 03

Better off alone 02

Jungle cabin

Dunepath to the sea (in exhibition)

Treecutter

Surferview I

Caravan paradise III

Astronaut

Lines

Skyhouse

Surfshack at the spot

To the Sea at Night

Campervan seen from the water

Master of camouflage

Boat on the mudflats

Cabin at the riverside

Bench in the greenhouse

The way I see it 00

Wave Rise

Flowers wave

Stormy day

My Identity

Le transport de sacs de café

Your Existence

La Potière de Samba

Sunny morning tree

Des jeux d´enfants

Cimes et racines / Maianthemum 1

To the Sea (big waves)

Somewhere far away

Wijk aan Zee

A great start of the day

IJmuiderslag

Muggenbos

One surfer, empty lines

Sweet surf memory

Saturation ludique 2

Checking waves

Tent

Pasar Malam

Calm