In 2007 I did a series of oil paintings parodying Gauguin paintings that chronicle his life in the South Pacific Islands. My paintings are nearly the same size as the original works - give or take an inch.  And I’ve kept to the composition and colors, but my paintings incorporate elements of a 21st Century life that Gauguin likely would have found abhorrent.

Gauguin fled European society in 1890 in search of a more sincere (simple) way of life.  He chose to live on a remote island in the South Pacific to escape “modern day distractions.”  His South Seas paintings, in which symbolism plays an important part, are among his most acclaimed works.

It’s his use of symbolism that is the focus of my parodies. I lampoon every aspect of the simple life Gauguin idealized. I imply that today commercial consumption has reached such a global scale there’s no escaping it - even on Gauguin’s remote island. Double click the images to enlarge them.