Added: Jan 18, 2008

From: ChristianInHollywood

Duration: 1:51

Article by Rene Ricard. Artforum, Dec/1981 Everybody wants to get on the Van Gogh Boat. There is no trip so horrible that someone won't take it. Nobody wants to miss the Van Gogh Boat. The idea of the unrecognized genius slaving away in a garret is a deliciously foolish one. We must credit the life of Vincent van Gogh for really sending that myth into orbit. How many pictures did he sell. One. He couldn't give them away. Almost no one could bear his work, even among the most modern of his colleagues. In the movie Lust For Life there is a scene of Kirk Douglas (as van Gogh) in front of La Grande Jatte being treated rudely by Georges Seurat. When I went to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the Grande Jatte, it was having a hard time competing with the white walls of the gallery. This habit of putting old pictures up against the white walls is deadly, the walls reflecting more light than the picture, but van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles was on the opposite wall and it was screaming at my back and I turned around and I listened. He has to be the most modern artist, still. Van Goghs don't crack. But everybody hated them. We're so ashamed of his life that the rest of art history will be retribution for van Gogh's neglect. No one wants to be part of a generation that ignores another van Gogh. And yet looking at art history we see that these other guys were pros. They started when they were kids. They sold their work. They worked on commission. There is no great artist in all art history who was as ignored as van Gogh, yet people are still afraid of missing the Van Gogh Boat.

Channel: Entertainment

Tags: article  boat  gogh  rene  ricard  the  van 

Rating: 4.20 (5 ratings)    Views: 651' favoriteCount='3    Comments: 12

w0r1dpeace Says:

Jan 18, 2008 - good

mrmortonblogs Says:

Jan 18, 2008 - Very nice.

NumberPhi Says:

Jan 19, 2008 - Basquiat?

Jangaboo Says:

Jan 19, 2008 - like the colours of the room

culwin Says:

Jan 20, 2008 - I don't understand what's so great about most classical artists. Most of it looks like kids' drawings.

dropitall11 Says:

Jan 20, 2008 - i really dont see how u could suck at acting class.

ChristianInHollywood Says:

Jan 20, 2008 - That's one of the nicest comments I ever got, thanks. :o)

omahahiguy Says:

Feb 16, 2008 - Certainly didnt start out - everyone wants to get on the MENGELE boat - How many pictures you sell on Ebay? Stop Living in Basquiats Shoes, and maybe your art will sell online, really! Think bout it! you got talent - but its being halted by living in Basquiat themes!!

ChristianInHollywood Says:

Feb 17, 2008 - Hi guy, I don't know why you're saying that but I've sold quite a few paintings so far. And I don't understand what you mean by Basquiat themes. I think he was a genius and his themes had universal appeal but he wasn't the first to paint them. Thanks for the compliment on my talent. :o)

omahahiguy Says:

Mar 6, 2008 - Christian, is that the diner that you are in with IAN -that pulp fiction was filmed in - the honey bunny robbery part?? also - you dont know what i meant by "themes" -sentence after you use "his "themes" in your sentence structure? whats with that? lay off the herb!!

omahahiguy Says:

Mar 6, 2008 - Christian, is that the diner that you are in with IAN -that pulp fiction was filmed in - the honey bunny robbery part?? also - you dont know what i meant by "themes" -sentence after you use "his "themes" in your sentence structure? whats with that? lay off the herb!!

strangeparty Says:

Jul 9, 2008 - And what does this have to do with Rene Ricard?

strangeparty Says:

Jul 13, 2008 - Van Gogh was surrounded by people who believed in him, and sold plenty of work in the less than ten years that he was showing, as well as before that. Many of his paintings were bought by his contemporaries. Gaugin, Degas, Lautrec and Mirbeau all collected his work. He came from a family of art dealers, and was himself an art dealer. He certainly had the respect of his peers, many of whom were in numerous group shows with him. You don't know what you're talking about.

ChristianInHollywood Says:

Jul 14, 2008 - See, YOU don't know what you're talking about. You didn't even realise the entire video was a reading of Rene Ricard's article "The Radiant Child" from Artforum magazine.

strangeparty Says:

Jul 14, 2008 - No, I didn't realize that you were doing a "reading" of a poorly written article from 27 years ago. I didn't think anyone was quite that stupid and pretentious. It also happens to be incorrect. I guess Rene was in one of his crack smoking phases, like you seem to be.

ChristianInHollywood Says:

Aug 4, 2008 - Ah I see, you're a troll. Time to block you, you retarded idiot. Bye bye now.