 |
|
 |
T.F. Chen Cultural Center Post-Van Gogh Retrospective: Van Gogh Visiting Soho
|
||
| Van
Gogh: "The Painter on the Way to Tarascon,"(1888), Formerly Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Magdeburg |
|||
| Previous Art Work 14 of 16 Next About the center About the artist |
 |
||
"SoHo" is an acronym for
"South of Houston Street,"a group of blocks running from Canal Street north to Houston Street in downtown
Manhattan.Originally, most of the buildings there were abandoned warehouses or small
factories, many of them were cast iron facades. Due to zoning changes in the 1960's SoHo
became a residential area, attracting artists, sculptors, filmmakers and galleries due to
its low rents and wide-open loft spaces. Especially after the boom of Pop Art, which
rocketed American art into the international scene, SoHo soon developed into one of the major creative center in the
world. This modest vicinity is now home to approximately 300 art galleries, museums, and
institutes. Chen's studio looked out upon West Broadway, the main street of SoHo since the 80'. when walking down this street, one can see the Empire State Building to the north, and the Twin Towers to the south. On both sides, one is surrounded by fashionable boutiques, trendy restaurants, bar, and hundreds of art galleries. One evening, after an enjoyable stroll, Chen returned to his studio inspired. He quickly executed this "Van Gogh Visiting SoHo," even using his fingers as a brush sometimes. Chen depicted the weary and lonely after a long day of painting. City lights illuminate the night, casting the artist's shadow upon the orange sidewalk. A pig-like dog, in Keith Haring's style, barks at him. All of SoHO looks like an enclosed city surrounded by buildings, with the twin towers standing sentry at the extreme end of the street,accompanied by a crescent moon. It seems that the entire district watches our eternal Van Gogh, stepping out onto the stage for a season of creation!
|