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Last May, on my mini tour around some of the US, I got to see Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” painting, while visiing the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Let’s take a look at some of my thoughts surrounding this and art in general in today’s blog.
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When I booked the trip to the US, I knew that I was going to be in for one crazy old trip, which is exactly what it turned out to be. I made so many fantastic memories out there – some with friends, some with random strangers and some completely by myself.
While I had a blast seeing friends, catching a baseball game live, watching Broadway shows and more, something I haven’t spoken about too much yet was how many museums and cultural experiences I had during the 12 days I was out there.
I got to see art in all its forms, from comedy and musical theatre to paintings and sculptures, busking to treasures discovered in Ancient Egypt.
One of the things I was super excited to see was Van Gogh’s Starry Night at the MoMA. After queuing up for a short while (it was super busy there!), I got to see it, and wow, talk about talent. Here’s a quick photo I managed to grab of it on my phone (you didn’t have too long for photos, it was more of a thing that you queued quick for a photo, then had a littrle bit of time to move on before the next person had their turn):
An oil-on-canvas painting created in 1889 by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter, it’s one of the most famous pieces of art of all time.
Van Gogh’s control of colour, how he used the pain and suffering from his life and turned it into such transcendent beauty, that’s magic right there. I’ve always been obsessed with how we communicate with each other, which, when you apply it to a piece of art, resonates with how the piece speaks to, connects and creates a lasting impression in your mind.
When I was younger, I would have probably been really excited at first to have seen this; however, I don’t think I would have taken the time to properly appreciate it for the brilliance that it shows. It also helps that I’ve recently rewatched the Doctor Who episode “Vincent and the Doctor”, taking this story to a whole other level. If you haven’t watched this episode, even if you’re not a fan of the show, I’d highly recommend it 🙂
Art has this ability to spark inspiration, conversations and connections between us as people. It’s a way to reflect how you see the world around you, presenting a canvas that others can take their own ideas, inspiration and understanding from. When you view it through this lens, it’s hard to not see it for the wonder and simple excellence that it is as a subject.
Anyways, there are some of my thoughts around being able to see such a historic and popular piece of culture, history and identity. I hope you’ve enjoyed the blog and have a lovely day ahead 🙌
Do you have a particular favourite piece of art? What’s one way that you love connecting with others? How do you make sense of how you see the world around you? Would you like to see more blogs like this on the page?
Thanks for reading and I hope you have a grand weekend 🙂
James
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