Van Gogh's lust for life

I had the pleasure of watching the movie, Lust for Life, recently. Vincent Van Gogh's life rolls in front of our eyes with crisp colours and sharp chiaroscuro all around. I was just amazed that the filmmakers actually managed to bring out the characteristics of Van Gogh's painting into the movie itself, and this was back in 1956. The entire movie is weighed on the dialogues that flow quite poetically, and Kirk Douglas's Vincent Van Gogh, Anthony Quinn's Paul Gauguin, and James Donald's Theo Van Gogh are apt and convincing in their roles.

The warmth and love between the brothers, Vincent Van Gogh and Theo Van Gogh, the conversations and conflicts between Vincent Van Gogh and all other real-life characters (Paul Gauguin in particular), the narration of the letters from Vincent to Theo in the background, the representation of Van Gogh's real paintings and more, everything adds to a delightful experience.

Paul Gauguin's sarcasm and quick mockery of Symbolism adds to the lighter moments in the movie whereas Van Gogh's unfortunate tumble into a self-mutilating, hallucinating being is quite horrifying.

A well-made biography!

~ RN

Do you still read comics?

I've often met with derisive sighs when they find me reading a graphic novel. It can be credited to the fact that in India graphic novels are not generally excepted as a literary piece or even a piece of art for that matter; but the bigger reason is the lack of knowledge about what goes behind the conjuring of a good graphic novel.
Let me not use a fancy term as Graphic Novel. Let me just call it a comic book.
So, what's not to like in a good comic book? The artwork is amazing, the literary material top-notch, the story a thoughtful experience! So, why is it that generally it's labelled to be read only by kids? Why not adults? I attribute it to the perception that adults (as opposed to children) know better. I believe as we grow we start compartmentalizing our experiences - these are childish, these are immoral, these are stupid, these are bad, these are good; all categorized in that invisible shelf inside our head. It's not our fault; it is because of the regular condit…

Drawing from Life

I was only awkward until the robe came down; once it was down I was bare and felt liberated. In my head, it all sounded poetic, like there were gongs of freedom chiming in the background. But when I took a quick look at the faces around me, it brought me back to think how normal it actually is to pose nude for drawing. All artists in their own rights, going about drawing me like they would draw any other model, learning and practicing how the light played on the contours of my body. Not to say that the sense of liberation I felt was not legitimate.
It all boils down to the aspect of where I come from. If and when my parents or the extended family back in India comes to know that I pose nude, I wouldn't know how they would react. They maybe okay with it or taken aback by the very act. It wouldn't change my view or decision in any way, but still I just indulged in these thoughts, like trying to interview myself in my head.
I recently came across this article from a few months ago…

In a nutshell...

It was only a couple of months ago that I turned thirty. And despite myself I couldn't help but feel that I have tipped myself over the peak and now it's a down-slope, and that suddenly I am bestowed with the secrets of intellectual enlightenment. That feeling of overwhelming clarity lasted for a few days post my birthday; and then I was back to what I was doing in reality - painting, reading, watching movies in abundance, filling my head with ideas from the chaos around me and reclining back to my solitude to execute them. But something stayed back from those few days of 'overwhelming clarity'. No philosophy, just experiences.
So, in a nutshell, it goes something like this: There are far more important things in life to think about than security and stability.That one impulsive step needs to be taken to see how capable you are and how infinitely your boundaries stretch.You may have a number of dreams to follow, but until and unless you step out to give wings to at least…

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Pencils and Colours

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