Paul Gauguin

For a lo-o-n-n-g-g time, I've loved things Polynesian. But now I've going to commit an act of sacrilege. Maybe even heresy! 😮

Paul Gauguin was an artist who lived and painted in Tahiti. He focused on the vahines there more than, say, landscapes. Fine. Except -- I never got into the style he preferred. In short, I'm not a Paul Gauguin fan!!

I think he had the skills to work in a more academic way, although I could be wrong. A detail below from one of his paintings, Two Tahitian Women (1899) is actually kind of nice, and it appears he was capable of rendering faces.

The painting as a whole, however, just doesn't work for me. The classical realism approach doesn't call as much attention to itself as the subject and workings do, and if handled right, can elicit powerful emotional responses. That's where MY interests lie.

Two Tahitian Women       Paul Gauguin,1899-detail

Two Tahitian Women         Paul Gauguin

Images like the one below speak to me much more powerfully:

A Girl Defending Herself Against Eros
William Adolphe Bouguereau,1880

Mark Junge
www.MarkJunge or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

 

Paradise Found

I FINALLY finished a painting that I started months ago following our whirlwind trip to Hawaii last October.

Paradise Found, 30" x 40" /  76.2cm x 101.6cm

 

Paradise Found (Detail)

The scene is based loosely on Tunnels Beach (aka Makua Beach) on the northeastern shores of Kauai. (We didn't make it there, but the pictures I saw made the distant mountains irresistible). Rather than going into a strict rendering of how Tunnels Beach looks, I added a lot of fantasy to the scene to make it into a "paradise found": a world that I would want to escape to; just beauty and peace everywhere; in a land inhabited by nice, caring people; music and dancing that stirs the soul and landscapes of unimaginable serenity and magic.

Of course, I doubt there ever was such a place as this, and especially not in modern times. Even Hawaii struck me as being a paradise lost but with some of its beauty remaining.

I had intended the vahine walking toward us to be an actual person, but she's small enough in the painting (3.5" / 8.9cm) where getting that tiny face to look like someone just didn't work.

Also, many of the plants I depicted would not grow this close to the shore -- too intolerant of the salt spray. But: it IS MY fantasy!!

And the tiki -- well, it looks like a pregnant female. She may be a goddess of fertility or something like that. I added it just to give more Polynesian flavor to the image. The dancers and drummers are definitely Tahitian, but this is not intended to be any real place.

I have other imaginary "paradise found" places in my head, too. Maybe someday I'll meet you there!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com 

A Future Painting

We-e-e-l-l-l...

My original intention was to write in this blog at least once a week. But lately, it's been down to once a month!

But, I'm older (as we all are), gotten into a lazy state of mind, not highly motivated, and tired. Stuff that's been going on in the country -- coronavirus, politics and the extreme hatred out there, stuff like that -- has been taking my focus off of what I need to be doing.

So what images are in my head these days?

Jamaica  -- 1871                                                                     Frederick Edwin Church

Jamaica is a painting I've loved for a long time. I plan to paint a scene similar to this, except it will be of Hawai'i or other Polynesian island, and it will combine elements of existing landscapes and some imaginary aspects as well.

I'd like to get started on it soon, but: 1. we're still unpacking from our move last August -- seven months ago!; and: 2. I need to get some commissions finished, hopefully VERY soon!

The time will come, God willing, and it'll give me something to look forward to!

Mark Junge
www.MarkJunge.com

Tropical Paradise (?!?)

When I was much younger, single and foolish, I was very much into "The Polynesian Look" -- not so much the little grass shack look, but with some remnants of life in that tropical paradise known as French Polynesia, particularly Tahiti Nui and the surrounding islands, especially Moorea and Bora Bora.

I used to drive by places (like apartments) that featured tropical/Polynesian landscaping. At night, some of them lit up tiki torches and, in one case, a small, natural gas-powered volcano. My favorite area at Disneyland was Adventure Land with the Enchanted Tiki Room, and -- in time -- the Tahitian Terrace Restaurant where they featured Tahitian dances and drumming at night. I loved listening to Martin Denny -- music with bird and animal sounds, as well as exotic musical instruments.

I even joined a Polynesian song and dance ensemble which I really enjoyed, but the funny thing is: I seemed to lose the romanticized images I had of the Islands. Maybe it all became too realistic, and even today I've never recaptured the romantic visions I had of being in Tahiti, or Hawai'i, for that matter. (Now, I'm into the Southwest and the deserts).

Today, as an artist, I would like to paint a landscape that will be somewhat imaginary but based on photos I've seen. (I've never been to these places I used to dream about). It will take time to paint all the vegetation and leaves and stuff, and I probably would not want to sell it. But who knows -- maybe it will resurrect the passion I used to feel for French Polynesia.

A View in Otaheite Peha                                                 John Webber

This painting is NOT by me, but it should serve as inspiration for the mood-inducing piece I'd like to create. This piece is A View in Otaheite Peha, John Webber (British), 1785. Beautiful, isn't it?

My painting will be a view looking down a white-sand beach around sunset, with a young lady walking across the sand and (maybe) some dancers in the background. It'll be a lot of work, but I think I can do it.

I know I'll never get to Tahiti -- it would be too much for me these days to deal with on a number of levels, plus we're too poor for that kind of stuff! But a painting of an idealistic Tahiti might be tropical paradise enough for me!

Mark Junge
www.SouthwestSpaces.com
www.MarkJunge.com
www.fineartamerica.com (prints)

One last thing: I now have some small paintings on etsy.com. check 'em out and see wotcha think!