Vincent Van Gogh - A Personal Hero of Mine - Digital Vs. an Artist's Hands/Strokes

What is the world taught about Vincent Van Gogh, the great Dutch post-impressionist artist who lived in the mid-1800s and committed suicide at age 37? One of my favorite artists, his life story and work have always fascinated and inspired me.

In grade school ( I was born and raised in the Bay Area, CA) I was taught he’s a crazy artist who chopped of his ear, died penniless, took his own life and that all artist life stories are tragic and heartbreaking.

In high school I learnt about the importance of his painting style and how he only gained popularity after his death. Here is a painting I did of his painting “The Sower” in high school.

Van Gogh “The Sower” I painted in high school

In college, while studying at Parsons School of Design I deepened my understanding of Art History, painting techniques, and why Vincent Van Gogh’s work was so important in Western Art.

After working in the fashion world for a while I had the opportunity to become the head designer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art (a dream come true)!

I had to design a 50 piece product design collection based on Van Gogh’s “Irises” & “Roses” beating out 200+ candidates to become the Head Designer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I did not eat or sleep for nearly a month while designing this collection because I wanted the position so badly. I thoroughly researched Van Gogh’s life, his paintings, his techniques, etc. Needless to say, I was “Goghed” out! But I learnt so much through my research and appreciated this wonderful artist’s work!

While at the Met I had a chance to meet with curators of Van Gogh’s work and deepen my understanding of Van Gogh’s life, his work, techniques etc. I even held some original Van Gogh paintings, sketches, drawings in my hand! (White gloves on!) I was mesmerized by his brushstrokes, techniques, it was almost as if I could feel the tremendous pain, passion, longing, mixed emotions he must of felt while creating! I used a magnifying glass to look at his work up close, I will never ever forget the beauty of it all!

I used a lot of his work in the designs ( jewelry, textiles, stationary, personal accessories, much more!) I created for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store.

It makes me really sad that Van Gogh’s work was not appreciated in his lifetime and that he only achieved fame after he passed. Many artists struggle financially, socially, struggle to get their work appreciated, and often battle with mental illness and depression. I wish that during his lifetime mental illness was addressed and he could have gotten the help he needed. Nowadays social media of course has given artists a way to showcase their work, BUT it often leads to feelings of insecurity, hopelessness, anger, depression, etc. I’m grateful in this modern era there are therapists and people trained to help!

I often wonder why the world dismisses artists as “freaks” “mentally unstable” “depressed” “crazy” (insert other derogatory labels here “ etc. Yet the world needs artists to entertain and bring beauty into the world! I wish the world would be more sympathetic and understanding towards artists and understand that sometimes to create beauty they suffer silently within themselves…..

SO

A. please give us space, don’t tell us to “create” and make something pretty to make ourselves feel better. B. be patient and understanding everyone is fighting their own private battles and don’t need to showcase it on social media!

I recently attended The Van Gogh immersive Experience. It was interesting a virtual reality exhibition of Van Gogh’s paintings (cut apart, animation etc.) set to a beautiful soundtrack! It makes me feel strange and weird that Van Gogh’s work is now digitized and selfie / Instagram / social media obsessed frenzy! Yet I do appreciate the hard work of the digital artists, animators, photoshop artists, musicians who brought this virtual exhibition to life. One of my favorite singers Thom Yorke (Radiohead) is featured.

Maybe I’m just an old skool art history dork/artist and prefer appreciating a painter’s brushstrokes in person than seeing it on Instagram / Social Media.

I’m glad I attended and I shot some videos (though I did cry a lot during it) perhaps because I know so much about Van Gogh and because I was inspired by his paintings I was able to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art surrounded by his work!

In this modern era, everything seems to be about “the experience” and social media, and sometimes it drives me crazy! But then again there is no right way to “experience” art, to each their own!

I’m grateful for Van Gogh, Ohm Shanti may he be painting with Goddess Sarswati (Hindu patron deity of Fine Arts & Knowledge) in Devaloka (Heavan)