Maybe you’ve seen a painting by Van Gogh or Monet. But have you ever walked into one?
The Straz Center in Tampa is welcoming “Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet,” an immersive experience using digital projections from Aug. 1 through late September.
Art Historian Fanny Curtat curated the 360 virtual reality experience. She said Van Gogh was the original thought for this.
“And then there was something that just made sense with adding Monet as well, because the Impressionist and post-impressionist for Van Gogh are sort of a very easy fit for these experiences. Their work is already about light. It's about capturing a moment. It's about vibrancy, it's about color, it's about movement, it's about seizing something, about being right there and in the middle of it,” she said.
If you go, you will be right there, with Monet’s famed haystacks and in the swirly, whirly world of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
But you will also see art that you may not be so familiar with.
It’s a show that will take you from the Netherlands, to Paris, to the south of France and Venice, too.
“You have a clear arc that then you can choose from paintings from these different locations to sort of build around what I'm going to call blockbusters and give a better sense of what was happening, also around these pieces and in his career as a whole,” she said.
He, being Van Gogh. He had a brief career of about 10 years. While his fellow artist, Monet, lived and worked into his late 80s.
Curtat said they had access to the complete works of both artists. So, there were many choices to be made. And the people behind “Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet” wanted the artists themselves and their works to come alive to the people who turn out.
Not static like a painting on a wall.
But for those who are already attached to the works, Curtat said the experience can be transformative.
“You can't put that magic in a bottle. It's unique to the piece, and when you have a connection to it, that's when it becomes truly spectacular. But there's something also phenomenal about being able to just walk into the painting itself that becomes very dreamlike, like very playful. So, for people who might be intimidated by the museum setting. It's something that feels maybe more accessible,” she said.
And that’s especially true for children who might start to dance to the music that goes along with the program. It features works by Coldplay and Vivaldi and others.
One thing Curtat hopes people take away from this experience is a better understanding of Van Gogh, the man. And not just the one who’s infamous for what we’ll call the “ear incident.” And his life breathes anew with his words and life story.
The same for Monet, who painted many haystacks and many water lilies.
And also captured the light of the moment on the canals of Venice so long ago and still holds us rapt.
"Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet" is at The Straz Center in Tampa from Aug. 1 through Sept. 28.
You can find more information on The Straz Center's website.
