"Beyond Van Gogh" worth a visit: Gogh!

     

"The Starry Night" is one of Vincent Van Gogh's most famous works of art.
It is now on display at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

    In August of 1976, this blogger decided to buy some posters for her next home: A dorm room in Maple Hall at Iowa State University, Ames.

    I and others at Tipton High School had been introduced to art, and the Expressionists, during an advanced-level humanities class. "The Starry Night" by Vincent van Gogh was available as a poster and it was the first thing I purchased and put up in the dorm room. 

    The interest has never waned. In 1995 I saw Van Gogh's work displayed in the Louvre Museum, Paris.

    This week a friend and I visited the "Beyond Van Gogh" exhibit at the RiverCenter, Davenport. I would heartily suggest this immersive experience, especially for those of you who appreciate art and the artists behind the work.

    Modern artists may take photos of what they reproduce in paint. When Van Gogh worked in the 19th Century, his ideas came from his tortured mind. Some of his best work, such as "The Starry Night" was done when he lived in an asylum in France. He looked out the bars of the window at night to find inspiration.

    Born in the Netherlands in 1853, Van Gogh struggled to find his place in the world. He was beset by mental breakdowns and tried various jobs, including as an art dealer. When that line of work failed he became a preacher -- like his father -- but that career ended as well.

    He moved back with his parents in 1881 and took up painting. His younger brother, Theo, supported Vincent financially and most of his work at this time was rather muted in color. He moved to Paris in 1886 and his style evolved to include more vivid colors and subjects like olive trees, wheat fields and forests. He also met other artists and became friends with Paul Gauguin. 

    The psychotic episodes continued and in a rage against Gauguin, he grabbed a razor and cut off part of his left ear. More time in psychiatric hospitals followed this incident but he never stopped painting. He shot himself with a revolver in 1890. 

    He was 37 years old.

    Van Gogh never experienced fame while alive but his reputation grew as others learned of the massive amount of quality work he'd completed: 2,100 art works and 860 oil paintings done in the final two years of life. He signed his work "Vincent," because, he said most people would have trouble with his last name.

    Today, Van Gogh's paintings are the most expensive in the world. The largest amount of his work is the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. (The source for material on Van Gogh's life can be found here.)

    The Davenport event includes an explanation of the artist's life, correspondence with Theo Van Gogh, and a magical, immersive, 37-minute show that comes off the walls and floor of the RiverCenter.

    We were among about 25 visitors.  Most folks held a cell phone (no flash photos, please!), and stood entranced by the sound track and works of colorful, imaginative art that flashed around. It was tempting to try and touch the works of art but that's not permitted (of course!).

    The playlist includes vocalists and instrumentalists, like Miles Davis and Pat Metheny. A classical musical offering is "Vincent," with Paula Kiete and Chris Snelling.

    After the experience, there's a chance to use VR, or Virtual Reality, offered at the site. This VR focuses on the letters between the two Van Gogh brothers. There is also a gift shop where I purchased a pillow, illustrated by one of Vincent's works.

    Beyond Van Gogh will be in cities across the United States. My friend's daughter and her husband saw it in San Francisco. Other ports of call to come: Virginia Beach, Tulsa, Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.

    I'm not sure who invited the show to the Quad-Cities, but it was a great idea! For all the information in the world about "Beyond Van Gogh," check this website. The show opened May 20 and will close July 20, 2023. The entire experience takes about one hour.

     Gogh to it!

Van Gogh painted Irises in the last year of his life.
The flowers were originally purple but have faded to blue.