After going to the Detroit Institute of Art in the late 1970s as part of a Humanities class, my father declared he didn’t like Vincent van Gogh’s paintings. “He’s just too primitive for me,” he explained. The DIA had a few of Van Gogh’s works, and a few years later I attended the same Humanities class with the same instructor, and came away with a very different perspective of the artist. I loved the simple lines and vibrancy of his works. His early pieces were dark and full of humanity; later, colors burst from the canvas and his still lifes were full of motion and unrest. Dad remained unpersuaded.
I recently visited The Lume, the immersive van Gogh exhibit at Newfields, with Paula Nicewanger and C.J. Woods, two artists. On our trip to London in 2011, Paula and I visited the National Gallery, which boasts a few van Goghs, which we viewed in the midst of the bustling gallery. The Lume exhibit brings the artist’s work to life for audiences in a unique way, helping the audience experience, rather than just observe the art. Upon entry to the exhibit space, you are surrounded by his works from the early days at Antwerp from 1883 to 1886, then the highly productive period in Paris where he was influenced by many of the artists of the era and Japanese art, then the breakthrough years in Arles and finally Saint-Remy, where he committed suicide in 1890 at age 37. Each period is given a little explainer at the beginning, and then the work speaks for itself.
Sitting on the small benches provided, or on the floor, the audience is truly immersed in the world of the Potato Eaters, the wheat fields, and irises. There was an audible gasp as the work transitioned to the Sunflowers, as the walls and floor were flooded with undulating yellows and oranges — it is a very emotional experience. Butterflies chase each other across the floor as paintings slide across the walls. It can be disorienting to move through the exhibit — moving while the walls seem to move could cause a really odd reaction! Newfields encourages people to explore it by moving around, but most people were content to stay in one place on our visit.
The exhibit slides by in an hour, and there is much to explore in the Activity Space, where you can get an up close look at van Gogh’s brush work and details, or get a picture taken with a van Gogh-ish filter. There’s a mock-up of the bedroom at Arles where you can take a picture of yourself in the space.
There is an Impressionist gallery that you can take a close look at Newfield’s van Gogh as well as other paintings from the era.
The Lume continues through May 2022, and is well worth the admission price of $25 to the general public or $20 for members. Visit discovernewfields.org for more information. Newfields is located at 4000 Michigan Rd. The exhibit is handicap accessible.
After the van Gogh exhibit, Newfields has scheduled another immersive artist experience to start in July. They are being very tight-lipped about it!
