Gauguin Portraits – The National Gallery
Freedom Friday: Chris
With a developing interest in art (particularly paintings) – I decided to visit the Gauguin Portraits at the National Gallery. The exhibition specifically looked at Gauguin’s achievement of expanding the parameters of portraiture painting. The entire exhibition was well curated and accompanied by a contrasting two-toned identity that looked incredibly punchy on the museum walls, maps and exhibition guide.
Notably, the painting that stuck with me the most was a Self Portrait with Yellow Christ (prohibited photography). Here, Gauguin affirms his belief that the world can only be perceived from a subjective point of view and that all artists, in effect, only make self-portraits.
This analogy is the reason I found such great interest in the painting. I think there is somewhat of a comparison to be made with the thought process found in design. As designers we are often tasked with a rigorous investigation process to understand as much about a subject matter as possible. The result of this research shapes how we perceive the brief/subject and in effect the way we approach the design process. This perception, in conjunction with our beliefs and understanding of the design world means we’re essentially making ‘design portraits’.
