Immersive Van Goh

The journey to Charlotte North Carolina took less than 2 hours with stretches of slow driving to due to road construction near the state line. The day was cool and the drive was pleasant. We filled the car with gas which went down slightly to $ 2.99 per gallon. We had planned to go to the exhibit in October but the show was extended all the way to January. This weekend trips to Charlotte or any big city are always welcome like a pressure valve has been opened to release steam from the week-long struggle with small minds which is the bane in small rural cities.

We have not been hiking as much as last year so I missed these weekend activities that relieve the mind. My back yard faces a forest and the fall colors are a welcome relief every day but not enough. I was hoping the exhibit would take my mind out of its usual rumination that turns destructive if I am not careful. Thoughts go into a wicked pattern of seeing distrust, envy, and paranoia in the office which poisons one's outlook and loss of innocence at the moment. People are straightforward and open though admittedly not the sharpest tool in the shed which is normal in this field of the high-tech supply chain.

Van Goh has had his episodes of madness, cutting off his ear to spite a fellow artist. Genius is often afflicted with mental strain despite his closeness to nature as seen in his paintings of sunflowers, irises, farmlands, the mountain, and the evening sky. His story is also about his struggle to express his artistic vision amidst a populace that thinks he is off his rocker. However, the world today sees his painting as works of extraordinary originality and genius. The immersive show is like a peek into his mind as he strove to live his life as an artist.

Nowadays, in today's hyper materialistic age, people express their individuality by buying stuff, living in large houses and, in a way, living in a dream world. Purchasing on the internet is so easy and ownership of these assets makes one feel successful, without the hardship that one should endeavor such as by artists like Van Goh.  After returning from Charlotte, with a side trip to Ikea, I watched the excellent movie "Another Round", a story of middle age teachers who try to rise above their mediocrity by getting drunk. In the end, their alcoholic binge does help them rise above their situation after tragedy and painful repercussions.