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Whether or not you enjoy or appreciate the art of Vincent van Gogh, you have likely heard of him. An artist with a tragic life and death, living with mental illness, Vincent van Gogh has interested me for as long as I can remember. In my younger days, I found his art to be quite odd - almost amateurish - and yet it had an appeal that I could not define.
When I was young (and a practicing perfectionist), I didn’t understand the works of any of the impressionists, after all, “good” art was supposed to be “perfect,” and I was drawn to the drawings and etchings of MC Escher, in particular. The perfect detail in his work is what interested me, but also his surreal approach – almost science fiction-like themes – opened my world of artistic perception to something beyond simply photographic perfection.
As I grew older, and my awareness and experience began to expand, I was drawn to the amazingly detailed surrealism of Salvador Dali. There was still the detailed, realism in his work that I craved, and yet his work was very dream-like. By the time I was in my teen years, my own drawings took on a distinct style - a cartoonish, surreal, whimsical style that still influences my work to this day; but I still did not “get” the work of the impressionists. I would not begin to explore impressionism in my own work until much later in life.
  Never having much education in the world of art, I am largely a self-taught artist and I have strived to not copy the style of any known artist, but rather to express myself as uniquely as I could, but if there is any single artist that has influenced my approach to art, it must be Vincent van Gogh. I love his use of texture as much as composition and color.
I remember several years ago there was an episode of Dr. Who that was based on Vincent and specifically his piece titled, ‘The Church at Auvers’. This episode opened my awareness, somewhat, to van Gogh’s struggle with mental illness and brought forth in me a fresh awareness of my own challenges throughout my life. Now, let me be clear, I am not claiming to suffer from any specific mental illness, but some of the people I love most in my life, do struggle with one form of mental illness, or another. In fact, it is through knowing and loving these people that has made me question and better understand myself, and, perhaps, be more compassionate toward others.
In 2017 an animated film was released called, ‘Loving Vincent’ This is an absolutely amazing work of art (or, hundreds of works of art) that were painted, frame by frame, in the style of van Gogh and brought to life through animation. The story is a mystery surrounding van Gogh’s final days and his apparent suicide. Not only does the viewer have the pleasure of seeing many of van Gogh’s paintings, but we get to see them come to life as they are perfectly incorporated into the story. I cannot recommend this film, highly enough, as an impressive tribute to van Gogh’s life and work, but also as an amazing feat of cinematic animation.
If you are a Creative, who are your greatest inspirations?
Until the next brushstroke,
RC Smith @ Made to Create
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