Van Gogh Experience

 

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Dress: Aje via David Jones cotton

Heels: Kitten D'Amour vegan leather

Bag: Sussan cotton, vinyl

Hinged Bangle: Precious Stones Jewellers silver

Hinged Bangle: Oxfam Shop silver

Mask: Gift, handmade cotton

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I'm so elated to be finally sharing all the beautiful pictures from a morning spent exploring the Van Gogh Alive Experience in Hamilton with my lovely mother. As a keen art lover, I absolutely reveled in the atmospheric showing of this masterful creator's works, shown on a myriad of different sized screens & interspersed with the chronology of his life, set to a thumping classical music soundtrack with mood lighting & bookended by art installations of two of his most famous works, "The Starry Night" (1889) & the "Sunflowers" series (1887-1889). Even after spending time taking in the exhibition, there was still more to enjoy in the foyer area - as well as a fully-stocked gift shop, there was a life-sized recreation of Van Gogh's bedroom (from the painting entitled "Bedroom in Arles" (1888) & a working recreation of the "Cafe Terrace at Night" (1888) where patrons could order French patisserie that truly transported the diner to Arles, France on a clear night in September 1888. The whole thing was an immersive & emotional experience & well worth the price of a ticket & the drive out by the Port of Brisbane to what looks from the outside like a rather unassuming warehouse with port-a-loo style toilets. 

For the occasion, I donned a gorgeous white cotton midi-length shirtdress with oversized puff sleeves, tie belt & black contrast stitching from Aussie designer label Aje, discovered at my local David Jones store, that reminded me of those 19th century French artist smocks, styled up with a pair of black vegan leather dual buckle heels from vintage-inspired boutique Kitten D'Amour, a black vinyl & cotton shoulder bag from Sussan to carry all the essentials including hand sanitizer, a chunky silver hinged bangle in the shape of an art deco wave from the delightful ladies at Precious Stones Jewellers, a thin silver hinged bangle from Oxfam Shop that I've had for over twenty years now & finally, a funky paisley print cotton facemask made by my talented neighbour.

Scroll down to see how it all unfolded... 

Becoming part of the Starry Night...

Traversing the Place Lamartine in Arles, France in May 1888, walking along "The Street with the Yellow House"...

Experiencing a "Starry Night over the Rhone" like it was September 1888...

The splendor of "Daubigny's Garden" (1890) in Auvers, France...

Sunflower Fields Forever...

A peek into the bedroom of a genius...

The pleasure of a meal with my mother at "The Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum" as it was in mid-September 1888...