The Misunderstood Genius of Vincent Van Gogh

Marketing and Communication Detail Summer Roshni Bhullar reflects on her favorite artist in the collection.

I would like us to take a walk in Vincent van Gogh’s shoes and try to see the world through his eyes for a few brief moments. Imagine you are Van Gogh—the artist, son, brother, lover, genius, and so much more. Now picture being in a mental asylum, thought of by everybody—including yourself—as being mentally unstable. How would it make you feel?

Yellow is the most visible color of the spectrum. It is cheerful, alive, vibrant—it depicts light and, most importantly, our sun. The love of sunflowers is a desire to capture the warmth and light of the sun. As artist Wassily Kandinsky said, “Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” Yellow wakes up the brain and is associated with feelings deeper than happiness. So why would someone be obsessed with sunflowers? Yes, they are bright and beautiful, but there seems to be something deeper than the aesthetics of this flower that drew Van Gogh to paint them repeatedly.

Vincent van Gogh, The Road Menders, 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/2 in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Acquired 1949.

Vincent van Gogh, The Road Menders, 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/2 in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Acquired 1949.

Before he was born, his parents had a stillborn who was to be named Vincent. Hence, he started his journey feeling like a replacement, like a shadow of the eldest child that could have been. Before he became an artist, Van Gogh lived in many different cities and did many jobs. He decided to become an artist in the last decade of his life and his nomadic lifestyle continued. He had a Christian upbringing and also tried to become a preacher. His beliefs evolved throughout his life.

He was on a constant quest for something, in search of answers to his questions. He tried to answer his questions through religion, through his travels, through relationships, and through his art. But he always came up short. He left religion, relationships never worked, and art never gave him success. The one person he had the strongest and the closest bond with was his brother, Theo. Even though his brother loved him and was his biggest supporter and confidant, Vincent was still left wanting for more in life. Maybe his “more” was his unanswered questions, a cure for his loneliness, or success in his art. Or maybe his “more” was a desire to be understood.

Vincent Van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1889, Oil on canvas, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)

When we look at his artistic career and all the art he has created, we can see his genius reflected in it. He wrote hundreds of letters during his life and was also good with words. Yet he felt something was missing. Throughout history many famous people have been posthumously understood and given recognition. What about those moments of painting and creativity, which they spend alone? What must go on in their heart and mind? Isn’t it human nature to want to share? Isn’t it human nature to want to be understood?

As the body needs food, the genius needs and wants to be understood. Throughout his life, we see a constant search for it and a constant lack of being fulfilled. Because of this—because his mind was not nourished with understanding—he started to doubt himself, to question his own sanity. Imagine someone born with a special genius ability trying to articulate their world. The first step would be acceptance of the genius from the person themselves and then others. As an artist who tries to articulate with words and colors, I feel that Vincent Van Gogh was a misunderstood genius labeled as mentally ill. His circumstances led him to break down.

His love for sunflowers showed his search for light within and without. He could not find what he was searching for, and eventually gave up his quest for light.

Dissecting the “A” in DEAI

DEAI Intern Anissa Santos on the need for resources for museum guests on the autism spectrum or guests that have sensory sensitivities.

Family visiting The Phillips Collection

As the principles of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion are becoming more commonplace and promoted within museum spaces and other institutions, The Phillips Collection has been committed to actively pursuing and implementing these principles into its institution and galleries. As the Spring 2024 DEAI intern, I have gravitated toward projects that are focused on the accessibility aspect of DEAI.

When most institutions think of accessibility, they usually accommodate for physical disabilities, particularly visible disabilities. While ADA compliance is often associated with accessible buildings, screen captioning, and general accommodations, what about comfortability? For many visitors on the autism spectrum and have sensory sensitivities, their needs tend to be overlooked because there is nothing inherently prohibiting them from entering museums and adjusting their experience for themselves.

In actuality, there are many reasons why those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and sensory sensitivities, along with their families, choose not to visit museums. Crowds, lighting, sound, overstimulation, lack of tactile experiences, and lack of awareness among staff are all potential barriers to this demographic of visitors. In fact, a 2016 study showcased that “parents of children on the autism spectrum reported experiencing three times the amount of negative emotions associated with museums compared to parents with non‐autistic children.”[1]

Families with autistic members in both the US and UK have been vocal about their needs, and as a result, we are seeing an increase in resources in Western museums. Some of these resources and changes include the creation of social stories, sensory maps, tactile backpacks, private early morning hours, staff training, and tailored programming. While not all museums may have the capacity to provide all these resources, the Phillips’s DEAI team and I are hoping to pilot a few resources this spring.

Some of the projects I have been working on with the amazing help and assistance of the DEAI, Education, and Security departments include the development of sensory maps, tactile experiences, and a sensory bag resource. It has been amazing to hear a plethora of ideas from all departments and their personal experiences and connections to these communities.

Some may ask why pilot these new initiatives if no one has “complained” about their absence. Others may argue that these resources are not a necessity for this community. Research proves otherwise. In 2020, among 8-year-olds in the United States, 1 in 36 have autism and there has also reportedly been a rise in the rate of autism cases within Black and Hispanic communities.[2] In DC, 16% of kids ages 3-21 were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act during the 2021-22 school year.[3]

Individuals with autism and other disabilities deserve to have museum experiences. If the Phillips makes an active and genuine effort to provide this community with the necessary support to thrive in our galleries, who knows how many more people and families will feel welcome enough to decide to visit? It truly takes a village to make positive change happen, and I am optimistic about the future of these projects. DEAI is not about waiting for someone to request a change but rather constantly advocating for change on behalf of these communities.

 

Notes

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9540669/

[2] https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/health/ap-health/autism-now-more-common-among-black-hispanic-kids-in- us/

[3] https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg/students-with-disabilities

In the Studio with Joel Crooms

Joel Croom’s Soweto Woman is currently on view in the Digital Window Exhibition space at Phillips@THEARC as part of the Digital Intersections series. The Phillips Collection Fellow Arianna Adade met with the artist to talk about his practice.

Joel Crooms, Photo: Tony Powell

How does your art challenge the conventional ideas of Black identity in contemporary culture?

The use of “abstraction” has, is, and will be for some time a challenge to the popular idea of “Black Art.” Many experience dissonance with seeing work by Black artists in any form other than figurative historical or idealized images. I often have to explain that decorative works on the exterior of African homes are examples of abstract art.

In addition, Islamic calligraphy “Adinkra” symbols and hieroglyphics are abstracted glyphs. Paraphrasing Sam Gilliam, “Black artists making abstract art is in itself a radical revolutionary self-defining act.”

Joel Crooms studio

What are some of the Afrofuturist symbolisms and mythologies present in your artwork(s)?

The use of digitally generated elements “bits and bytes” in my work is the strongest aspect of futuristic symbolism. This aspect may not be evident to the viewer, and involves using plastics, LED lighting, and sound. An evolving situation for me personally as a diaspora artist is the use of international icons and glyphs from the myriad locations we find ourselves in the world.

Joel Crooms, When I Saw Her Eyes

What artists from the Black Arts Movement inspired you and why?

As a young artist coming of age in the 1970s, the consciousness-changing Black Arts Movement expanded my creative horizons. The idols and mentors came from diverse media—plastic, literary, cinema, dance, music. There are those recognized by the dominant society to some degree and so many others known to the arts community who aren’t acknowledged.

Some popular names are Sam Gilliam, Alma Thomas, Ben Jones, and Barbara Chase-Riboud, who blew my mind. Benny Andrews, Ademola Olugebefola of the WEUSI group, and Betye Saar as well. These artists showed me and many others that we can indeed be professional groundbreaking creatives.

Joel Crooms, Red Lady with Flowers

How do your works contribute to the conversations within Afrofuturism?

I feel that doing work that pushes beyond my current capabilities and interests will spark inquiry and debate. I want to show that there are no limits. Open your mind.

Science fiction comics in particular, Heavy Metal with the inclusion of Black characters made me feel as though there was space for us in that genre. However, many seem reluctant to talk about Blacks’ involvement in the work. We still make folks uncomfortable.

Joel Crooms studio

What do you envision for the future of Afrofuturism in art?

That Afrofuturism will create universal and cosmic work far beyond anything we’ve experienced yet.

Morning Creativity by Joel Crooms