On Sunday I visited the Van Gogh immersive exhibit in Grand Rapids and came away moved by the work of the artist and by his story. Two things have stayed with me. First, Van Gogh suffered from severe mental health disorders, leading him to harm himself (infamously cutting his own ear), to being hospitalized, and to his suicide at age 37. Knowledge of this personal history informs the way I view all of Van Gogh’s work. The self-portraits are especially interesting with the different expressions they reveal, and the exhibit features a painting of tree roots believed to have been painted the day before the artist took his own life. His work is at once serenely beautiful and unsettling. Second, the startling thing that I learned from this exhibit is that Van Gogh may have been color-blind. Some researchers now surmise that he saw fewer colors (or less vibrantly) than we do, leading him to use color in unique ways including brighter colors. This is one of the world’s most famous and celebrated artists, and these two things about him cause me to wonder deeply. Did Van Gogh’s mental illness press him to produce more art and to pour himself into it more deeply? Did it remove the barriers or filters that a “sane” person has between life and art, allowing him to express more emotion, more raw beauty and truth than others? Van Gogh is not the only famous artist whose genius was adjacent to madness, nor the only one whose beautiful (and challenging) art came at the cost of suicide. And the color-blindness is even more mind-blowing. Did he literally see his painting in a totally different way than I see it? Are Van Gogh’s colors different from my colors, and different from your colors? I believe that we all see different things in different paintings—we bring our life experiences, our personality, to the way we interpret each piece of art. And perhaps we bring our own way of viewing color as well. The work of Van Gogh bears repeated and close examination. There is a lot to see there. PRAYER: May all those who suffer from depression and mental illness find the hope and healing that they need. May all those who are considering self-harm find help. May they know that they are loved and not alone. May all artists find the ways of expressing themselves that bring joy and peace to their hearts. May humanity continue to blessed by the beauty and truth in our art. Blessed be. Rev. Andrew Frantz |
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Rev. Andrew FrantzUUFCM Minister Office hours:
In-person and via Zoom: Tuesday 10-noon Wednesday 1-3 & 8-9pm Office Hours Zoom Link Outside of Office Hours, Drew is reachable at any time via text, phone, or email. Day off: Monday Contact for emergencies only minister@uufcm.org Phone/text: 440-935-0129 Pastoral Care Concerns
For support with life’s challenges, please contact Drew during his office hours or make an appointment with him. For specific needs such as rides to medical appointments or meals for people recovering from illness or surgery, please contact the Caring Team (formerly Arms Around) via Jen Prout at 989-400-3130 or poutyprouty66@gmail.com. Every effort will be made to lessen the burden on the individual or family who is dealing with a difficult circumstance. Archives
April 2024
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