I drove eight hundred miles round-trip to attend an art exhibit for about ninety-minutes. It was worth it.
I've seen original paintings in galleries and museums by Van Gogh, Monet and other Masters. I've seen photographs by Karsh, Warhol, Winnogrand and Adams...but this was unlike any of those experiences. The title of the exhibit is accurate. The sound, color and movement made this a truly immersive experience. All of his most famous and recognizable works were presented -
The Yellow House
And of course, his most famous painting of all. I knew it would show up at some point, but it didn't appear until well into the presentation. Upon seeing it begin to take form I thought of the time at my first Bob Dylan concert when he began to play Highway 61. I expected him to do the song, but it was still quite thrilling.
Starry Night
And there were some images I was not familiar with, including The Woman in White -
What struck me about this one visually is the shape of her hands and the length of her arms, as well as a feeling of sadness. There was so much else going on visually on the walls surrounding me but I couldn't look away from this image. It soon faded and was replaced by something else, but I'm still thinking about it. Can't explain, but this is now my favorite painting. I'm kind of obsessed with it. Maybe it looks like someone I used to know. Strange.
The images above are not by me, obviously. I didn't even take a camera in with me. That was on purpose. I didn't want to miss a single moment because I was trying to take a photo. It was the right choice. For me, anyway. There were certainly a lot of cell phone cameras in use all around me.
If you get a chance to see this in the city where you live, or any city, do it. It will be worth it. Even if you have to travel eight hundred miles. That's only four hundred each way. A small investment for what the payoff will surely be.
Roger O'Dea 10/12/2021
