Imp Hung: Being with Van Gogh
Imp Hung, the Taiwanese artist you have been learning about over the past three days takes the unique position of imagining what it would be like to be within the context of a well known painting from the past - channeled through her black rabbit Abe. From there Imp envisages the possible thoughts of the original artist. Van Gogh is her favourite painter and today we take a journey for a little distance with Imp, Abe and Vincent.
Imp imagines what it must have been like for Van Gogh - alone and lonely in his bedroom at Arles.
Abe dines alone at Cafe Terrace and contemplates what Van Gogh might have been thinking.
"Cafe Terrace at Night - 1" (after Van Gogh) ~ Ceramic tile painting by Imp Hung ©
Imp imagines walking with Vincent and seeing the cypress trees he loved so much. As Imp explains: In the original painting by Van Gogh it was nightfall and working people were going home.
What was Van Gogh thinking at this time? 1
"Road with Cypress and Star - alone" (after Van Gogh) ~ Ceramic tile painting by Imp Hung ©
A few of Vincent’s letters reveal why he loved cypresses. On 25 June 1889 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence he wrote to his brother Theo:
"The cypresses still preoccupy me, I’d like to do something with them like the canvases of the sunflowers because it astonishes me that no one has yet done them as I see them. It’s beautiful as regards lines and proportions, like an Egyptian obelisk. And the green has such a distinguished quality."1
A farmer planted cypress trees - what can be seen on the road? In winter, it gets dark fast. Abe sits down to look at the starry night and to think about Vincent Van Gogh and to imagine what he saw and thought. 1
"Starry Night" (after Van Gogh) ~ Ceramic tile painting by Imp Hung ©
In the beginning, only Abe was in the painting - lonely. And then I hope someone will join with me so I have another work with two rabbits. 1
"Road with Cypress and Star - together" (after Van Gogh) ~ Ceramic tile painting by Imp Hung ©
And as Imp has said and experienced with Abe - at the end of the working day you look up and see with amazement the glorious arrangement of stars - just as Van Gogh did.
"Starry Night Over the Rhone" (after Van Gogh) ~ Ceramic tile painting by Imp Hung ©
Imp continues: When I was studying in Australia, I took the train between home and school. I always go home alone and listen to Sophie Zelmani's songs.1
Tomorrow you can see the process used by Imp to create one of her ceramic tiles.
Imp and Abe have brought us so much good luck this week with new subscribers - yes another person has joined up to the AnArt4Life community - this one is K.K from New South Wales. Thank you to everyone who follows our posts.
A very special thank you Imp Hung who gave her permission for the images of her work to be shown on the post and who so willingly has shared her thoughts with us.
Thank you again to Andrew from the Hunter Valley Region who introduced me to the ceramic tiles being created by Imp Hung and who has assisted in many ways to bring these posts to you.
Credits
1. vangoghstudio.com
2. correspondence from Imp Hung