“Among the many visitors inside the tight halls of the Van Gogh exhibit, I heard somewhere behind me a father’s sarcastic voice: “Go find your mother. Really, does it take this long to appreciate art?” I turned around and smiled at him. I knew where he was coming from. I had to admit, as much as I enjoyed viewing the exhibit and enhancing myself culturally, the crowd and long wait in lines left me quite listless. Despite the whole stressful experience with getting tickets, getting in line and getting in another line, I still left the museum feeling enriched with a souvenir 14″x11″ print of A Pair of Shoes.
Checking out “Van Gogh’s Van Goghs” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is quite a feat for any art appreciator. Lines resemble those you would see at any popular ride at Disneyland and for a few hours a day, LACMA becomes an attraction that could compete with any major theme park in Southern California (except of course with fewer children under the age of 12). Souvenirs are bought left and right. The only thing you won’t see is a Vincent Van Gogh doll. Every language from Spanish to German echoes down the small, crowded rooms of the exhibit. At times, a hall monitor would be very helpful to remind visitors “Don’t Push or Shove, Please.” Obviously, Vincent Van Gogh, was indeed, not only an impressionist, but quite impressive as well. If he weren’t, we wouldn’t be stampeding to LACMA and there wouldn’t be consecutive sold out weekends from now until the middle of April
Van Gogh’s paintings are familiar
Besides the well-known Sunflowers and The Potato Eaters paintings, I came to LACMA West’s Van Gogh exhibition with little to no knowledge of the extent of Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork. All I knew was that I may never see his artwork on this side of the Atlantic in my lifetime again. That alone was incentive enough for me to rush down to the museum and see what all the buzz was about. I’ve always seen replica prints in frames everywhere from restaurants to bathrooms, but seeing Van Gogh’s authentic work right before my eyes gave me a new appreciation for art that I never thought I had. I was literally in awe—my eyes squinted throughout the whole exhibit and my mouth was somewhat open saying “Wow, look at this one.”
Sure, we all see paintings and are familiar with Van Gogh’s praises and acclaims for being one of the most intensely emotional painters of all time. But none of us teens knows that the story of his life and feelings are shown almost chronologically throughout his works. From the paintings he did in Holland and Belgium, to Paris, to Aries and to Saint-Remy-de-Provence, the exhibit coordinators placed his artwork respectively, giving us more of a feel of the transitions of his life through each piece. Above the walls that exhibited his paintings were quotes from letters he wrote to family and friends where he expressed what he felt about the pieces he was working on. In one letter to his sister he wrote, “I should like to do portraits which will appear as a revelation to people in a hundred years time.” And that he did.
Among the paintings you will find familiar are The Potato Eaters, which established Van Gogh as a “painter of peasant life;” Wheatfield with a Reaper, in which Van Gogh reflects on the transient nature of life; Wheatfield with Crows, which is believed to be his last painting and a foreshadowing of his suicide, and of course various self portraits we all have seen at some point or another. My personal favorites included The Courtesan, a kimono clad woman inspired by Japanese woodblock prints; and Almond Blossoms, a floral painting. I especially liked The Courtesan’s brighter and bolder colors. I never saw a Van Gogh painting with such deep red, green, and blue tones as much as this one.
All the waiting was worth it
All in all, the exhibit proved to be worth the wait. Although I know some people would argue, I must say it does take a second look to appreciate a piece even more. So what the heck. It’s your ticket, your money and your visit. Go ahead, take as long as you want to admire and appreciate “Van Gogh’s Van Goghs” and see for yourself how long it really takes to appreciate art.
Running from January 17 to May 16, 1999, “Van Gogh’s Van Goghs” will be on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, West Campus. The exhibition runs on an hourly appointment basis at $20 a ticket for adults (available through Ticketmaster or the LACMA Box Office). Although there is no strict adherence to time frame, it is generally advisable that you get there about 15-20 minutes before your hour to avoid an even longer wait in the big white tent that looms in front of the museum’s main entrance.”