Evelyn Filleman/ Photo by Abigail Callicoat
The History and Political Science Department sponsored students and faculty to visit the Van Gogh Exhibition: Immersive Experience Oct. 18. The exhibit, temporarily located in Little Rock, travels worldwide and offers a perspective into Van Gogh’s work. It features exact copies of Van Gogh’s most treasured paintings, life-sized sets of his scenery and a 20,000 sq. foot, 2-story, 360-degree screen that transports viewers into the works. The screens transition from a wide selection of Van Gogh paintings and sketches, bringing the scenes to life with moving images, surround sound, and animation.
Over 60 Harding students and faculty experienced the exhibit, whose tickets were paid for by assistant professor Kimberly Laing. Dr. Liann Gallagher coordinated the trip, and said she wanted to inspire her students’ love for history.
“[The exhibit] was going on, and we thought the students would love this, so we decided to try and make it happen,” Gallagher said. “We weren’t necessarily trying to spread Van Gogh, but the goal was to inspire the love of history in students.”
Junior Camille Bewley attended the event and found it an informative and unique way to view the artwork.
“The immersive experience allowed me to see what I believe Van Gogh was hoping for: painting in such a way that the art comes to life,” Bewley said. “By digitizing his work, we can see what [was] likely [seen] in the mind of the artist as he painted famous works like “Starry Night or Sunflowers.” All historical figures offer a lesson. Some lessons we do not want to have to learn for ourselves because they are painful, while others we can use to move forward and expand our knowledge. History is the formula for today, and without it, we would not be the contextualized humanity that we are.”
Junior Arden Cravy found the study of art goes beyond the mind and into the heart. Art means various things to each individual, and for Cravy, it becomes an emotional experience.
“‘Irises” was my favorite of Van Gogh’s works,” Cravy said. “They make me think about my mom, childhood and home. We have irises in our backyard, and viewing them in Van Gogh’s artwork brings back an emotional connotation for me.”
The department wanted to inspire students to appreciate and connect with history on a deeper level, visually, intellectually and emotionally. “We weren’t necessarily trying to spread the love of Van Gogh, but he’s an important historical figure,” Gallagher said. “He’s important in art and history, so it kind of fit the bill. We want to expand knowledge in whatever way possible.”
