Van Gogh Live, His Street and His House
A photo essay from Van Gogh Live Experience (c) Ralph Kerle
As a former creator of immersive experiences in the early 1980s, when large scale non site-specific installations were beginning to emerge; it was an absolute delight to experience installation arts’ 40 year evolution, at the Van Gogh Alive Experience, currently on exhibit at the Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park, Sydney,
‘Immersive live experiences’ or, ‘happening’s’ as they were called in the 1960s and 70s, attempted to break away from the restrictions of a traditional gallery, museum or theatre, with its ongoing-overheads of the programming and marketing required to keep these institutions operating. Without these constraints, live experience designers and curators can dream big, with individual concepts on a low risk, one off basis. Events of this nature can be designed for global portability so all that is temporarily needed is a big open shed – the modern day conference centre or marquee. These types of experiences ate the future of cultural events in 21st Century.
The Van Gogh Alive Experience takes you into the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch painter some consider the greatest painter of the modern era. The 45 minute narrative is constructed around 7 periods in his life’s journey – called movements. Each movement involves large scale projections of his artworks, some are collaged and interspersed with close up sections of individual works. Selected writings from his famous collection of letters appear throughout the experience, acting as though Van Gogh is narrating the experience himself. The whole visual experience is underpinned by a musical soundtrack of classical pieces composed during his life, and lit with faint smells of spices, fresh gardens and sandalwood.
You can’t help but feel dwarfed by the sights and sounds of the experience. The immersion is profound on many levels – Van Gogh’s technique, colour palette and his self-portraits reveal his inner struggle in a way that is pure emotion and cerebral delight.
Vincent’s Street,110 x 300cm Created 2nd April, 2019, Aveiro Portugal.
Perhaps the best way to sum up the presentation is to use Van Gogh’s own words; “As a suffering creature, a painter, I cannot do without something greater than I – something that is my life – the power to create….” I sensed I was in the living presence of a creative genius. Van Gogh’s creational power drives this exhibition, and I cannot help but feel I am a guest in his presence.
On my 2018 trip to Aveiro, Portugal, I was walking down a windy alley in Cais dos Mercanteis, which led to the local fish market. My eye was immediately caught by a yellow house perched within a row of houses on the side of the canal. The house invoked the spirit of Van Gogh and his work whilst he lived in Arles. I knew that if the surface remained still on the water in the canal, I might be able to capture a shot that paid proper homage to Van Gogh’s creative influence on my thining and my wqork.
The weather held, the camera spoke and when I downloaded the shots to view them, there was no doubt in my mind what the titles may homage to the should be “Vincent’s Street” and “Vincent’s House”.
Van Gogh focused on colour, nature and form to build an understanding of the world around him. His work had an immense impact on the way I conceive my artwork. Clearly, the creators of Van Gogh Alive. were similarly inspired.
Vincent’s House in situ
Vincent’s House 94 x 140 cm Aveiro Portugal
