Review of Van Gogh museum permanent collection plus the temporary exhibition of artist Matthew Wong.
There is clear reason why Van Gogh’s painting are so popular! Up close they are even more rich in colour and movement and a tragic sense of healing and joy. As the story goes, Van Gogh was a tortured soul (in a clinical way, they say BPD…), but he always loved to paint. He painted all through his illnesses up until he eventually shot himself and died at 37 years old.
The museum had put on a temporary exhibition of Matthew Wong’s paintings. A Canadian artist who was heavily inspired by Van Gogh’s techniques and story. Wong’s paintings are stunning, vibrant landscapes that often contain a small lost figure. I assume they are himself. Unfortunately, Wong’s fate is the same as Van Gogh, that upon arrival to fame and success at the early age of 35, he died by suicide.
I see the gallery tried their best to promote mental wellness and that an openness in talking about suicide will make space for answering unanswered questions.
But! It is very hard to ignore the thing that everybody is thinking…
tortured artists produce better art!
I am not satisfied with that statement. I don’t think it is true in every case at all. I hope it is a case similar to that in Monsters Inc. if you are familiar with that film… That Laughs produce 10x more energy than Screams!
The tortured artist needs to be cared for during their lifetime!
If he was alive today to see all the money he has made from his art… I think he would still be unwell!
So we give a big ten outa ten to Vincent and Matthew for some good-lookin art, but Van Gogh Museum can get a I’m-not-angry-just-disappointed 7 out of 10 for their curatorial vibe.
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