We have tickets to the Van Gogh Immersive Experience tonight --- we've been waiting MONTHS for this to take place and I am super excited. Come along and share the fun.
"Spring - In March of 1886, Van Gogh moved to Parks and began living with his brother, Theo, with whom he had a close but often contentious relationship. This relocation to Paris was probably the most significant one in Van Gogh's often peripatetic existence, because it brought him into contact with a different type of life and a varied assortment of artistic influences. "What's to be gained here is progress,' he wrote a friend shortly after his arrival and he proved that true, socializing with the likes of Camilla Pissarro, Pierre-august Renoir, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. He also met Paul Gauguin, with whom he felt an instant kinship and the two spoke of forming an artists' colony together. But Van Gogh also became too involved with the social scene, and his drinking became to problematic that he felt the need to move after two years for the sake of his health."
"Summer - Van Gogh arrived in Arles in 1888 and instantly felt that 'this is the place I have wanted to be all my life.' The Provencal weather yielded a world of blue skies and yellow wheat fields that Van Gogh would embrace as his personal palette. He summoned Gauguin to join him to establish their artists' colony, and the months leading up to his arrival were the happiest in Van Gogh's life. He eventually painted 200 canvases during the 15 months he lived there. Gauguin arrived in October, 1888, moved into the yellow house which Van Gogh had carefully furnished and for a few months they worked happily. But, by December 23, Van Gogh's increased drinking and his disturbed mental state made his threaten Gauguin with a razor and then turn it on himself, severing his own left ear. Gauguin left Arles the next day and the dream was over forever."
"Fall - The final year and a half of Van Gogh's life played out sadly. He first spent many months in and out of hospitals in Arles, suffering from delirium. He finally admitted himself to an asylum in Saint-Remy and remained there for a year, painting some of his greatest works like The Starry Night, but also suffering debilitating bouts of depression. After a year, he relocated himself one final time to the Parisian suburb of Auvers-sur-Oise, to be closer to his brother, Theo, and a new therapist. But once again, an initial period of stability gave way to manic energy. He painted 70 pictures in the 70 final days of his life before shooting himself in the chest on July 27, 1890 and died two days later. As he wrote in one of his final letters, 'I put my heart and soul into my work and I have lost my mind in the process.'"
Wow - that is a lot to absorb. So much I was completely unaware of and yet had heard of this artist my whole life. Taking a breath -- into the exhibit we go.
The room we enter has multiple mirrors in the center and people sitting all around them on the floor. Deciding to go right into the center of the mirrors - we find a spot and settle in.
We are surrounded on all four walls of constantly moving images of Van Gogh's paintings. It is mesmerizing and oh so beautiful. Here is just a snippet as I'm much more interested in watching than recording.
Snapshots of images on the walls --
"Sunflowers"
At this point, we are back where we arrived in the showing and decide to move into the next room. Much to our surprise, it is showing the exact same thing, only the room is larger and much more comfortable. Why did we not come in here first? Notice how even the floor plays a role in this room.
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