Vincent

Painting, music and poem come together here, in true Dr. Ron Art fashion, that is, art that crosses boundaries.  The song inspiration for my poem?  This cover of the Don McLean classic, by Joanna Wang.

My poem is about the artistic tension between Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, both masters in their own right. Gauguin suggested that Van Gogh paint from his memory and imagination. The latter apparently agreed, but demurred at the notion of veering from having his subject in front of him as he painted. Then, during another stay at an asylum in Saint-Rémy, and without his favored subjects available to him, he painted à la Gauguin, which gave us a glimpse, I believe, of his true artistic genius. That glimpse was nothing less than pivotal: It was 'The Starry Night.'

Starry Night (1889), at the Museum of Modern Art

Here's Don McLean's performance:

© Ron Villejo