A VAN GOGH FOR THE KITCHEN

 So, welcome to the blog :).

For the very first post I asked myself, what is the most simple, most obvious and the most common example I can think of to make art more accessible  -  to make it possible, to literally find art at every corner. 

The most old age example of easily accessible art, are the numerous postcards anyone can buy at most museum as you “exit through the gift shop”.

Now, one can criticise the quality, experience and all that in regard to small size low quality prints of art.  These are all valid and important points to consider.

I went to the Museum Folkwang in Essen last weekend. Standing in front of Van Gogh’s The Wheatfield behind Saint Paul's Hospital with a Reaper in person is truly impressive. One can see the thick layers of paint. One can admire the literal brushstroke of the artist that is so highly revered by many as a sign of authenticity and record of the artist’s touch. 

 

In many regards the neat little postcard does not compare to looking at the artwork in person. Of course, it does not. It is a neat little postcard. While the postcard does lack a great number of aspects that make experiencing the original art work truly amazing, it still has some other things in store.

In other words, what can we gain from more art at every corner?

Things like a postcard or a digital reproduction of an art work are most of all a great opportunity for people who lack the means to visit a particular museum and see the work in person. If I very much would want to see a number of Frida Kahlo paintings, I would have to travel half the world. The majority of her publicly displayed works are to be found in museums in Mexico. Yet, Kahlo is a painter that enjoys great popularity today. No doubt many of her fans have seen few of her paintings in person.

Even if you have the opportunity to see an original art work, usually you cannot take it home. Paintings by van Gogh sell for millions. A printed postcard cost me 1€ at the Museum Folkwang. Another point is that I cannot imagine anyone having a hard time trying to figure out how to interact with and make use of a postcard. Postcards are a very straightforward way to make art accessible.

A friend of mine takes home a postcard sized art work every time that she goes to a museum. She always buys a postcard of what she liked best during her visit. At home, she has build and curated for herself her own private miniature collection of favourite art works on a wall of her living room. Postcard reproductions of art works have opened up new possibilities for creativity and for interacting with the art that she saw at the museum.

People do not exclusively listen to music at live concerts. They listen to music on Spotify, stream poor quality Youtube links and loudly listen to their Ipod in the shower.

So it should not be considered too strange to interact with art outside of a museum context either. Next time you go to a museum maybe pick up a postcard of your favourite work and send it to a friend.

While this first post was very much a back-to-the-roots example, I will sprinkle some new technology magic on the post at the very end. For all those of you who do not have the chance to go to Essen any time soon and who have no friends living nearby Museum Folkwang who can send them a postcard of The Wheatfield behind Saint Paul's Hospital with a Reaper – take a look here.