May 7, 2024

At Eternity’s Gate

 
 
A friend recommended that I watch “At Eternity’s Gate” which is the story of Vincent van Gogh, which is magnificently played by Willem Dafoe. There is so much good to be said about this film, but I want to focus on just one particular aspect of the story, which relates to a thought that keeps rolling around in the rock tumbler of my mind.
 
The painter Paul Gauguin features prominently in this film; he was a contemporary, a friend and roommate of van Gogh, and at that time the more successful of the two. Gauguin tries to help a struggling van Gogh by offering some advice:
 
  • You paint too fast!
  • Work calmly, slowly.
  • Think about the surface and how the paint will set on it.
  • You overpaint and the surface looks like it’s made out of clay.
  • It looks more like sculpture than painting!
 
But Gauguin’s approach to creating was so very different from van Goghs, and his advice is rejected.
 
“Vincent van Gogh Painting Sunflowers” by Paul Gauguin
 
What worked for Gauguin, did not work for van Gogh. And what worked for van Gogh, would never have worked for Gauguin. And yet their respective approaches worked perfectly for themselves.
 
Which brings me to the thought that keeps popping into my mind: there are so many different philosophies and approaches to creating art, which is the “right way?”
 
I feel so very strongly about my Vision approach to creating, and when I hear someone talk about a different approach, I think: they have it all wrong! And then if I admire their work… that causes me to pause and try to understand how I can have the right answer, and they have the right answer too?
 
“Paul Gauguin” by Vincent van Gogh
 
Was Gauguin’s approach right or was van Gogh’s? Clearly both were right…for themselves.
 
Imagine what might have happened if van Gogh had acquiesced to Gauguin’s advice simply because he was “more successful.” He may never have created “The Starry Night” or “Sunflowers” or “van Gogh Self Portrait.”
 
 
Instead, van Gogh did it his way (I think he actually credited Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way” for the inspiration.)
 
And so what lesson do I take from this story? That we must each find our own “My Way” and not follow another’s approach simply because they are successful, have a degree or because we respect their work. If their approach works for them, then there’s a good chance it will not work for you!
 
Find your “My Way.” Listen to the different approaches and gravitate towards that which resonates with you. Then take those ideas and make them your own.
 
Colefucius say: they who walk in another’s footsteps,
never finds their own path.
 
 

24 thoughts on “At Eternity’s Gate”

  1. Hey Cole,
    What a great analogy about finding your own path. What works for one may not work others, is true in every aspect of our life. Be it surgery, philosophy, bike riding, etc. Well pointed, thanks for sharing.

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  2. Thanks for this Cole. That is a great movie. And though I realize that there have been a handful of movies about Van Gogh, I cannot imagine any other actor portraying him than Dafoe.

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  3. Very inspiring commentary Cole. And I agree we must find our own way.
    Thank you for sharing.
    Now to see the movie
    See you in Sept. in Bandon
    Linda

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  4. I partially disagree with Colefucius. It’s important to have mentors and persons of great wisdom and skill and to be able to walk in their footsteps. That is how much learning has been done over the history of mankind. However, I agree that part of the wisdom learned is when to step out of those footprints and create your own.

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    1. For some, walking in the footsteps of another until they are ready to make their own way, is best for them. For other, forging ahead on their own is the “right way” for them. I really think it goes to one’s personality.

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  5. Great read Cole. I’m gonna stop following you now. I suggest you stop following me… I’ve taught you all that I can. Its time to fly grasshopper… FLY!!! 😂

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  6. As a non-professional artist or photographer, I see the “right way” as something that taps into the mythic without smashing it into our faces. That way, it is both personal and universal. Of course, that’s an oversimplification.

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  7. The group I belong to, FYV (Find Your Voice) is structured just around that difficult topic. What is one’s voice? Sometimes very difficult to accept that what you are looking at is good enough, or the page is blank, so the temptation to “look” elsewhere for ideas. I would have loved to see Van Gogh’s throwaways.

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  8. I share your belief in respect for creative diversity. Photography is the means and art is the end. The photographer lends his/her personal expression into the picture (the art) and is at liberty to use what means he/she thinks necessary to achieve the goal.

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  10. In Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 work, Walden, he wrote, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away”.

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  12. Thanks for sharing this, Cole! Now I have a movie recommendation that sounds fascinating! This reminds me of two instances in grade school when teachers told me I was doing the art project “wrong”. Even at a young age, I knew I was right to do it “my way”. Thank you for your insights!

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  14. It’s a great philosophy for those who ‘succeed’. I wonder how to comfort those who remain abject failures.

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    1. Such a great question! (which I assume was said in jest) It brings to mind two thoughts:

      First, what is success and what is failure?

      Second, I was already thinking about writing an article about how if you follow your Vision, you’ll likely be a failure (how it’s most commonly defined).

      Good comment John!

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  15. As always COLE is interesting and inspiring, I got a lot from your newsletter and of course this is like wood that needs igniting.
    “You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself” — Galileo Galilei
    Thank you for sharing your precious experiences!
    Greetings from Albania

    Reply

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