Australian Aborigines believe we have three brains: the stomach, the heart, and the head. They say modern man uses the head brain almost exclusively, calling it a “tangled fishing net.”
VanGogh
I understood their meaning better after visiting the Van Gogh exhibit at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto in 2018. It was soon after I began painting, and I was eager to look at the exhibit with my new “painter’s” eyes. I rented a headset and strolled through the museum, listening to a pre-recorded tour. With almost no practical experience, I was determined to learn something through observation.
Undergrowth
After exploring three art rooms, where I saw beautiful paintings and learned about Vincent’s life, the headphone voice said, “This is the end of the guided tour. Please press channel 8 to listen to Erik Satie as you exit the museum.” The music started, and I turned to see, on the wall in front of me, Van Gogh’s painting “Undergrowth.”
It hit me full force, flooding my heart and completely bypassing the tangled fishing net. It was a pure, simple, profound moment I’ll never forget.
Van Gogh rented four room
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