I joined the National Gallery as a member a while back so I could have a date with Vincent Van Gogh and visit the hugely popular ‘Lovers and Poets’ exhibition. That was a good call because, by the time I did, it was practically sold out.
It did not disappoint. I agree with the write-ups that this was a once-in-a-century exhibition which contained an unparalleled number of his paintings together.
The galleries were hot, sweaty and very crowded but somehow the show stood head and shoulders above it all.
The way it was put together was breathtaking and told a compelling story - that Van Gogh was so much more than the tired old cliches of ‘went mad’, ‘cut off his ear’ and ‘painted sunflowers’.
The revelation, to me, was that Van Gogh’s expressive talent was - for the time - beyond measure. Further to that, the thing that was most impressive and that I’d not appreciated before, was that Vincent Van Gogh was an activist artist.
Art that, as Steve Jobs would say, ‘puts a dent in the universe’ is a rare and magnificent thing. Artists that encourage us to think differently have my utmost respect, because that is the true alternative to totalitarianism and groupthink.
Cultivating our individuality has never been more crucial to the human race and its future than it is now. Now, an AI and algorithmically-driven world is knocking is on our doorsteps.
This is a shout-out to some of the activist artists I respect, admire and am inspired by. Their talent, courage and singularity of vision is awe-inducing.
Today, we all need to be activist artists in some form or another, because increasingly, envisioning and fashioning the futures we would like to see for ourselves is an act of courage, bravery and sometimes defiance. The system cannot necessarily accommodate it. These artists are in my personal Hall of Fame for celebrating individuality and the peaceful opening up of alternative narratives. Their work has arrived on the scene with a cultural agenda for change that has seeped into social consciousness. May there be many more like them.
Vincent van Gogh
Ai WeiWei
Grayson Perry
Sheperd Fairey
Steve Jobs
Bernard Leach and Barbara Hepworth
Banksy