Should Van Gogh be reinvented?

Looking at Art:

Everyone knows about Van Gogh, the tortured artist whose work did not become famous or valuable until after his death. His painting “Stary Night”, painted in June 1889, has become an icon of modern art.

 In March, “Beyond Van Gogh”, the immersive experience, will be on view in Sarasota about ten minutes from my house. Unlike the original small paintings by the artist, this new digitized experience surrounds viewers with color, light and swirling design. They are invited to step into an experience much larger than themselves. The scale, color, and texture of the unique original works has been transformed by technology. This is appropriation capitalizing on the popularity of the famous artist, commercializing his personal expression, removing his work from the museum environment and making him as accessible as an Instagram post. The public is flocking to the experience in many locations. Is this commercial version of Van Gogh a way to bring great art to a public who may never set foot in an art museum or is it just so much kitsch? What do you think? Will you go see it?

 Work in the Studio:

The watercolor shown here is part of a series of portraits of musicians. Musicians make great subjects because their faces and hands are so expressive while they produce their music. I have designed the work to capture the facial expression and the gesture implied by the hands. These works allow me to explore the use of dark areas which help focus attention on the facial features and hands.

The Flute Player, Watercolor, 14” x 10”