SOUTH SEA GARDEN AT THE INTERNATIONAL GARDEN SHOW HAMBURG

In his book “Noa Noa: The Tahitian Journal” Gauguin describes his life in Tahiti. The Noa Noa Garden echoes the described conflict between the "banality of the European way" and the search for the "Original".
The basic structure of the garden is related to a Tahitian tattooing whereas the clipped yews refer to the French garden art. They point to the European culture, Gauguin wanted to escape from but never was able to because of the French colonial administration and missionaries in Tahiti.
The chosen perennials refer to Gauguin's colourful imagery. As a painter, he searched for the direct undisguised expression: "Everything in the landscape confused and blinded me. Coming from Europe, I was constantly unsure in the choice of colours, unnecessary doubts tormented me. It was so easy to put naturally a blue and a red on my canvas. The creeks with gold shimmering forms within in the water enchanted me - why would I hesitate to pour all this gold and all the shiny sun on my canvas?”

Photography: Lichtschwärmer