I had a migraine this week when I first heard about the Van Gogh Museum’s forthcoming collaboration with Pokémon. I saw a Sunflora grinning beneath corduroy skies – this wasn’t part of the migraine – and I thought: really? The Sunflora looked delighted. I wondered: wasn’t van Gogh amongst the unhappiest people to ever hold a brush? Is that match-up particularly harmonious? Something something crass? Art and commerce! Then I grumped off for a lie-down.
That was my first thought. Luckily I had others later on. I am increasingly wary of gatekeeping, particularly when I find myself settling into it. I am sure all of what follows is obvious for you, but it helped me, at least, to pick my way through it.
My next thoughts, anyway: actually, might Pokémon and van Gogh make for an interesting combination? And haven’t art and commerce lived close together for most of their separate histories? More important, is there such a thing as a bad way of connecting with art?
