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“Starry Night” By Vincent Van Gogh
Source: Wikipedia
Born in 1853 in the Netherlands, Vincent Van Gogh is perhaps the most well-known expressionist painter in history. Known for his vibrant palettes and broad, loose brushwork, Van Gogh’s explosive, complex, and emotionally-charged paintings are reflections of his own personal life. Tormented by his own self-consciousness as an artist and person in general, Van Gogh took his own life when he was jut 37 years old. Despite his short lifespan, however, Van Gogh’s legacy is immeasurable, for his daring, bold approach to painting forever changed art as we know it.
Self-Portrait by Vincent Van Gogh
Source: vangoghgallery.com
Contemporary artists continue to be influenced by Van Gogh, not only in producing new paintings, but also in creating work in memoriam of the famous painter. Loving Vincent, an up-and-coming short film, is one such example. The film is said to be the first animated film whose frames are all oil paintings. According to Slate, over 100 artists were employed to reproduce the collection of Van Gogh paintings, which are shot at 12 frames per second. The Loving Vincent website describes how the film “features over one hundred and twenty of Vincent Van Gogh’s greatest paintings. The plot, drawn from the 800 letters written by the painter himself, lead us to the significant people and events in the time leading up to his unexpected death.”
Here is the concept trailer from the film’s site:
In February, an official trailer for the film was also released:
What I find most exciting about the prospects of this film is the fact that it is the first biographical and cinematic attempt to commemorate a painter through a painter’s own medium. People can write biographies about writers and make documentaries about actors or directors, but how often does one explore the life of a painter through paint itself? Loving Vincent uses the visual language created and used by Van Gogh himself to literally animate the artist’s life; therefore, there is no approach that could possibly be more accurate and authentic to Van Gogh’s life and artistic expression.
Be sure to be on the lookout for news about Loving Vincent, which is set to release sometime this year.